ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has once again summoned former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and family members – his two sons Hussain and Hassan, his daughter Mariam, and son-in-law retired Capt Safdar – as well as Finance Minister Ishaq Dar to appear before investigators today.
However, given Dar’s review petition against the Panamagate verdict yesterday and the Sharif family’s absence at prior NAB summons, it is unlikely that they would appear before the bureau on Tuesday.
The Sharifs have been directed to appear before NAB through a third notice while Dar has been summoned on a second notice. None of them have shown up as yet.
A Combined Investigation Team, led by NAB’s director general, Lahore, had summoned the former premier, his two sons, daughter and son-in-law to inquire about the flats number 16, 16A, 17 and 17A at Avenfield House in London’s Park Lane area.
Earlier, all five family members decided not to appear before the NAB authorities until a petition filed by the former premier in the Supreme Court seeking a review of the apex court’s verdict that disqualified him from office was decided upon. On August 15, Sharif had filed three separate petitions in the SC to review and stay further implementation of the Panamagate verdict.
NAB, as directed by the SC, is also investigating the discrepancies in Dar’s assets and funds. The joint investigation team (JIT) that probed Panamagate had revealed in its reportthat Dar’s assets exceeded his known sources of income.
The JIT had stated that Dar had invested 5.5 million British pounds in Baraq Holdings in the UAE, but the source of these funds was not disclosed; it was only revealed that around 4.97 million pounds were given to him by his son.
In its inquiry against Dar, the bureau is expected to question the exorbitant increase in his assets from 2008 to 2009 which was pointed out in the JIT report. Dar had previously been summoned to appear before investigators on August 18 but the finance minister did not show up.
Dar, in his review petition filed in the SC, challenged the court’s verdict on the Panama Papers case, arguing that a reference against him cannot be filed based on a “spurious JIT report”.
Later, the minister said that NAB could not summon him following his petition since the decision under which the bureau was investigating was under review.