To be questioned over offshore assets

Ousted Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his two sons have been summoned by the top anti-graft body to appear before it on Friday for interrogation in connection with the money laundering and corruption cases against them.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on the directive of the Supreme Court issued summons to Mr. Sharif and his sons — Hussain and Hasan — to interrogate them in its Lahore office in connection with their offshore property revealed by the Panama Papers case.

The NAB said that it will take up the reference against Mr. Sharif’s close aide Ishaq Dar on August 23 and that summons has been issued to him.

Mr. Sharif, who has denied any wrongdoing, has not yet decided to appear before the NAB.

“Nawaz Sharif is considering boycotting the NAB proceedings because he thinks it is very much likely that like the Panama Papers case he may not get justice in its case as well,” said a PML-N senior leader. He said Mr. Sharif has already expressed his concern over a Supreme Court judge who is supervising the NAB’s investigation against him, fearing that he (judge) will ensure an adverse verdict against him.

Case against Zardari

Also, an accountability court in Rawalpindi is set to start proceedings against former Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari in an old graft case, Dawn News reported.

It said that the court will initiate day-to-day proceedings against his over his allegedly illegal assets, both in Pakistan and abroad. NAB prosecutor Tahir Ayub hoped that proceedings would be completed in the next few days after which the court would pass a verdict.