Bailable warrants issued against Nawaz Sharif

An accountability court on Thursday issued bailable warrants against ousted Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in cases relating to two of his properties, the media reported.

The Islamabad-based court wrapped up the first hearing in the Sharif family's London flats case after grilling the former leader's guranteer about his absence from the hearing, reports Dawn news.

The bailable warrants were issued for the Flagship Investment case and the Al-Azizia Steel Mills and Hill Metal Establishment case.

Meanwhile, the hearing on the Avenfield flats in London was adjourned until November 3.

The court had indicted Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and her husband Captain Mohammad Safdar on October 19 in connection with a case pertaining to the Avenfield flats filed against them by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

The former Prime Minister was separately indicted in the Al-Azizia Steel Mills and Hill Metal Establishment cases.

All three accused pleaded not guilty to the charges, Dawn news reported.

Nawaz Sharif's sons Hassan and Hussain Nawaz were named co-accused in the charge-sheet.

Maryam and Safdar appeared before the court on Thursday but Nawaz Sharif failed to appear in as he is currently in Saudi Arabia with his mother.

A five-member bench of the Supreme Court on July 28 had directed the NAB to file cases against Nawaz Sharif and his children in six weeks in the accountability court and directed the trial court to decide the cases within six months.

The former premier and his two sons have been named in all three NAB cases, while Maryam and Safdar were named only in the Avenfield case.

--IANS

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