ISLAMABAD – The federal cabinet decided on Tuesday to conduct the hearingof Al-Azizia and Flagship references against Sharif family in open court.
The corruption references were filed by National Accountability Bureau(NAB) in line with the Supreme Court judgment in Panama Papers case.
The decision was taken in a meeting in Islamabad on Tuesday. The federalcabinet will tomorrow cancel the notification of the PML-N supremo’s jailtrial, reported Dunya News.
Earlier, the Ministry of Law and Justice issued a notification saying thetrial of Sharif family in two remaining corruption cases will be held inAdiala jail.
“In exercise of the powers conferred by subsection (b) of section 16 of theNational Accountability Ordinance, 1999 (XVIII of 1999), the federalgovernment is please to specify the Central Jail Adiala, Rawalpindi, to bethe place where the Accountability Court-I, Islamabad shall sit for trialof References No. 18/2017 and 19/2017 against Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharifand others,” the notification read.
The anti-graft watchdog had filed three references against Nawaz and hischildren – Hassan, Hussain and Maryam Nawaz – and son-in-law Captain (retd)Safdar. The cases pertain to Avenfield flats, Al-Azizia Stell Mills andHill Metal Establishment, and offshore companies.
Nawaz Sharif and his sons Hussain and Hasan are accused in all threereferences – Hill Metal establishment, London flats and offshore firms –whereas his daughter Maryam and son-in-law Capt (r) Safdar are named in theAvenfield reference only.
NAB’s Rawalpindi branch prepared references regarding the Azizia SteelMills and nearly a dozen companies and made Nawaz Sharif and his sonsrespondents.