Pak’s anti-corruption body approves fresh case against Nawaz Sharif

Pakistan’s anti-corruption body has approved a new case against deposed premier Nawaz Sharif, days after Prime Minister Imran Khan urged authorities to dispose of major graft cases quickly.

Sharif, 70-year-old supremo of Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) who was ousted from power in 2017 by Supreme Court on corruption charges, is currently in London for medical treatment.

National Accountability Bureau also approved cases against Sharif’s ex-personal secretary Fawad Hasan Fawad, former federal minister Ahsan Iqbal, former foreign secretary Aizaz Chaudhry and former Intelligence Bureau (IB) chief Aftab Sultan, Dawn newspaper reported.

On Thursday, a total of 11 cases were approved at NAB’s Executive Board Meeting (EBM) presided over by its chairman, retired Justice Javed Iqbal.

According to NAB, a fresh case was approved against Sharif along with Chaudhry, Sultan and Fawad for “illegally” purchasing 73 high-security vehicles for security of foreign dignitaries.

y are accused of favouritism and illegal use of vehicles, causing a loss of over Rs 1,952 million to national exchequer.

EBM also approved a case against Ahsan Iqbal and Mohammad Ahmed, contractor/owner of private firm Ahmed and Sons, for increasing scope of Sports City project in Narowal from Rs 30 million to Rs 3 billion by “abusing authority”.

y are accused of illegally providing funds of federal government to provincial government projects after 18th Amendment by using personal influence, which inflicted huge losses on national exchequer.

case against Iqbal was approved two days after he had said in a private TV talk show that NAB had been investigating Narowal Sports City case against him for last two-and-a-half years but did t file a reference.

Sharif is already facing several cases of corruption and misuse of authority which he has declared as a result of political vendetta by current government led by Prime Minister Khan.

approval of fresh cases followed a recent speech by Prime Minister Khan that Opposition would see a “different Imran Khan”, which was interpreted as a threat to arrest more opposition leaders and court cases.

Apart from Sharif and his close aides, NAB approved cases worth billions of rupees of alleged corruption against several officials and businessmen for causing losses to country in different projects.

Sharif criticised military establishment in recent speeches at garings of opposition Pakistan Democratic Movement.

Days before July 2018 general elections, Sharif was convicted in Avenfield properties case and sentenced to 10 years in prison. His daughter Maryam was sentenced to seven years in prison for abetment and his son-in-law Captain (retd) Mohammad Safdar to one year.

In December 2018, anti-corruption court judge Arshad Malik convicted Sharif in Al-Azizia Steel Mills case and sentenced him to seven years in prison. Judge Malik was later dismissed from service over misconduct.

IHC later granted bail to Sharif, Maryam and Safdar. Sharif, after his conviction in Al-Azizia case, was sent to jail but released for eight weeks on medical grounds. bail-granting order lapsed while former premier was in London.

IHC had in September fixed appeals against conviction of Sharif in Al-Azizia and Avenfield cases. After hearing pleas, court rejected Sharif’s applications seeking hearing in absentia and issued his n-bailable arrest warrants.

court n issued his proclamation giving former premier final opportunity to join proceeding before confiscating his properties.

Separately, an accountability court in Islamabad has already confiscated movable and immovable properties of Sharif because he absconded in Toshakhana case, which is about alleged corruption in purchase of vehicles..