Pakistan's anti-graft body files corruption reference against Nawaz Sharif

The reference has been filed in a land case in the Lahore's accountability court against the former Pakistan prime minister, Jang/Geo media group owner Mir Shakilur Rahman and two others

Pakistan's anti-graft body has filed a corruption reference against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, Jang/Geo media group owner Mir Shakilur Rahman and two others in a land case in the Lahore's accountability court.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) filed the reference after approval from its head, Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal. The other two suspects are former Lahore Development Authority (LDA) director Humayun Faiz Rasool and former director (land) Mian Bashir.

The accountability court has issued notices to all respondents for June 29.

In 1986, when he was the Punjab chief minister, Sharif had allegedly allotted 54-'kanal' land in Lahore to Mir Shakilur Rehman in violation of rules. Rahman has been on judicial remand after being arrested by the NAB on March 12.

In the reference, Sharif and the two LDA officers were accused of misuse of authority in allotting the precious land along the canal to Rahman in violation of the rules.

Since Sharif did not respond to any of NAB's summons and questions, his arrest warrants had already been issued and the bureau announced to have moved the accountability court to declare him a proclaimed offender.

The three-time premier had left for London in November after the Lahore High Court granted him a four-week permission to go abroad for treatment. He had submitted an undertaking to the court to return to Pakistan, citing his record of facing the law and justice, within four weeks or as soon as he is declared healthy and fit to travel by doctors.

Sharif was given bail in the Al-Azizia Mills corruption case, in which he was serving a seven-year prison sentence in Kot Lakhpat Jail. He was also given bail in a money-laundering case to facilitate his travel abroad.

Sharif has been diagnosed with "complicated coronary artery/ischemic heart disease with significant disease burden".

Maryam Nawaz had said her father was a high-risk patient therefore his cardiac catheterisation/coronary intervention had been postponed due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.