NAB sends summons to Sharif family's London address

The National Accountability Court (NAB) in Pakistan has issued summons to Nawaz Sharif and his family members at their London address, asking them to appear on September 26 after they failed to appear on September19 hearing in connection with the Supreme Court-mandated corruption references.

The court will most likely issue bailable or non-bailable arrest warrants for the former prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, and his family members if they do not turn up in court after receiving the summons.

The wife of ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif, Kulsoom Nawaz, has been discharged from a London hospital after her third surgery on Friday.The entire family had gone to London to be with Kulsoom Nawaz, who is recovering after a surgery. Kulsoom has won the September 17 by-polls with over 61,000 votes.

 

The announcement was made in a tweet from her daughter Maryam Nawaz's verified Twitter account (@MaryamNSharif): "Just brought Ami home. She is Alhamdolillah recovering well after her 3rd surgery. Jazak'Allah for your valuable prayers."

"The Sharifs are anticipating the outcome of these references, therefore, they have no plans to appear before the accountability courts," the PML-N leader said.

A PML-N leader close to the Sharif family had told Dawn that "Nawaz Sharif and his children will not appear before the accountability court and they are likely to skip all the proceedings of the accountability courts."

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) pasted two notices on the main gate of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif's Jati Umra residence on Friday, restraining him from selling the residential property and summoning him to appear before Islamabad's accountability court on Sept 26.

"Your attendance is necessary to answer the charges and you are hereby required to appear in person before the accountability court No 1 Islamabad (Federal) Judicial Complex on Sept 26 at 9am," reads one of the two notices addressed to Sharif.

An official requesting anonymity told Dawn that the second notice was meant to restrain the ex-PM from selling his residence. He added that the notices were pasted on the main gate by NAB officials who visited the Jati Umra residence on Friday and introduced themselves as such to the security guards present there.