Former PM Nawaz Sharif faces another setback from IHC

Former PM Nawaz Sharif faces another setback from IHC

ISLAMABAD – The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has turned down petitions challenging the auction of properties and agriculture land of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

The identical petitions had been filed by Muhammad Ashraf Malik, Mian Iqbal Barkat and Aslam Aziz through their counsels Qazi Mibah-ul-Hassan Advocate and Muhammad Zain Qazi Advocate.

Declaring the petitions inadmissible, the high court directed the petitioners to move the relevant authority in this regard.

Last month, an accountability court accepted a petition of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) seeking its permission to auction the seized properties of PML-N supremo and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

The judge ordered the authorities to auction the moveable and immoveable properties of Nawaz Sharif and deposit the money into the national exchequer. NAB Deputy Prosecutor General Sardar Muzaffar Khan Abbasi filed the petition.

Abbasi stated that the accountability court had declared Sharif a proclaimed offender in the Toshakhana reference. Despite a lapse of six months, the former premier did not surrender himself before the court, he added. Court had declared Nawaz Sharif a proclaimed offender on August 17 and ordered attaching his property on Oct 1.

The seized properties include Hudaibia Paper Mills, Ittefaq Foundry, Baksh Textile and Hudaibia Engineering.

Furthermore, the assets of Sharif in Upper Mall Road area, the fish farm built on 110 acres of land, 20 acres of land in Lahore, a bungalow located in Murree, Shangla’s house, five luxurious cars registered against the name of the former prime minister will be auctioned.