Nawaz skips second NAB appearance

LAHORE: Ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif didn’t turn up before the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Sunday to record his statement with regard to a probe initiated against him over illegal construction of a road.  

Mr. Sharif was served a notice to appear before a team of the Bureau at its Lahore office at 11am, but he didn’t show up.

He was summoned to record his statement with regard to the probe into alleged illegal construction of the road in Raiwind for personal use, utilizing taxpayers’ money.

The former premier was also called last month but he didn’t appear as he was abroad to see his ailing wife Kulsoom Nawaz.

According to NAB officials, the national exchequer had to suffer a loss of around Rs125 million because of the Sharif brothers who allegedly allowed illegal construction of the two-way road . The road was constructed for personal benefit at taxpayers’ money, they added.

The former premier has been accused of misusing his authority as prime minister in 1998 to allow construction of the road leading to his residence in Jati Umra.

Mr.Sharif, 67, resigned in July last year after the Supreme Court disqualified him from holding office over an undeclared source of income.

Sharif along with his sons-Hussain and Hassan – has been named in three NAB references, while his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law Capt. Safdar have been nominated in a reference with regard to the Sharif family’s London-based Avenfield properties.

The references were filed in compliance with the Supreme Court’s July 28 verdict last year.