Nawaz refuses to appear before NAB, terms proceedings an 'eyewash'

LAHORE: Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has refused to appear before the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) which is currently probing corruption references against him as part of the Panama Case implementation verdict.

Nawaz Sharif’s daughter Maryam Nawaz, son-in-law Captain (retd) Safdar, and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar have also refused to appear before the anti-graft watchdog.

The counsel for the Sharif family, Malik Amjad Pervez, on Tuesday submitted his reply with NAB on their behalf, maintaining that according to the National Accountability Ordinance, the application should be scrutinized thoroughly and all documentary evidence should be seen before proceedings are initiated.

The reply said that the legal procedure was not properly undertaken before initiating the corruption references against Nawaz Sharif and the other respondents, and the several steps were overlooked which would term the proceedings as illegal.

Nawaz Sharif and other respondents informed NAB that an appeal has been filed in the Supreme Court over the verdict which disqualified him. Therefore, all proceedings should be halted until a verdict over the appeal plea by the apex court.

The reply further said that it is the prerogative of the NAB chairman to initiate corruption references and refer it to an accountability court. However, this is also not been implemented against the Sharif family.

He termed the proceedings as illegal and a mere eyewash, and the lack of a free and fair trial is a violation of human rights. Therefore, the former PM refused to be part of any proceedings by NAB.