Pakistan accountability court files four cases against Sharifs, Dar

Islamabad, Sep 8 (IANS) The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Friday filed four cases against ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, his three children and his son-in-law and former Finance Minister Ishaq Dar in the Islamabad accountability court in line with the July 28 Supreme Court verdict in the Panama Papers case.

Three cases filed against Sharif and his family related to their four upscale flats in London and 16 offshore companies held by the family while the against Dar related to owning assets beyond his means, the News International reported.

The cases were approved during Thursday's meeting of the anti-corruption body's Executive Board presided over by its Chairman, Qamar Zaman Chaudhry.

On July 28, a five-member bench of the Supreme Court disqualified Sharif from office following a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) probe that exposed illegal family wealth stashed away abroad.

The apex court had directed the NCB to file the four cases by September 8 against Sharif, his children -- Hussain, Hassan and Maryam Nawaz -- son-in-law Muhammad Safdar and Dar.

The Sharif family and Dar face up to 14 years imprisonment, heavy fines and freezing of property if the accountability court rules that Section 9 of the NAB Ordinance 1999 had been violated as suggested in the report of the Panamagate Joint Investigation Team (JIT).

Moreover, the accused may also be disqualified from holding public office for life if found guilty.

Meanwhile, the NAB Chairman rejected recommendations by the bureau's regional chiefs in Rawalpindi and Lahore to freeze assets of Sharif family members and Dar, according to Geo News.

Chaudhry also rejected the recommendation to add the names of Sharif, Hasan, Hussain, and Dar on the Exit Control List (ECL).