Nawaz, Maryam return home ahead of graft hearing

LAHORE: Ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif arrived in Lahore from London on Sunday morning ahead of his scheduled appearance before an accountability court hearing graft cases filed against him and members of his family.

Sharif accompanied by his daughter Maryam Nawaz landed at Lahore airport at around 8:30 am via PIA flight PK-758 and was driven to his Jati Umra residence under an extensive protocol.

On December 5, the former premier along with his daughter had flown to London to see his ailing wife Kulsoom Nawaz undergoing treatment for throat cancer at a hospital there.

The accountability court hearing the corruption references filed against the Sharif family by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has summoned Sharif, his daughter and son-in-law retired Captain Safdar on December 19.

On December 11, the accountability judge adjourned the hearing of the references till December 19, directing Sharif, Maryam, and Safdar to appear before it on next hearing.

The former premier and his daughter, Maryam Nawaz, didn’t appeared before the court as they were exempted from personal appearance.

Maryam and her husband Captain (retd) Safdar have been named in a single corruption reference pertaining to the Sharif family’s London properties.

Whereas, Sharif and his two sons – Hassan and Hussain – have been nominated in three references related to the London flats, Al-Aziza Steel Mills and Hill Metals Establishment.

The court has declared Hassan and Hussain proclaimed offenders after they failed to turn up before it for hearing into the references filed against them.