Ousted PM’s Sons to be Brought Back to Pakistan

Published: 29 June 2018

Nawaz Sharif

Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif

By Haroon Janjua

Pakistan’s anti-graft watchdog, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), has approached Interpol about extraditing deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s sons, Hassan and Hussain Nawaz, from London, NAB chief confirmed on Thursday, Pakistan Today reported.

The brothers were requested to appear before the court in 2017 due to their alleged involvement in money laundering, tax evasion and hidden offshore assets cases centered around their father. Despite repeated requests, they never showed up in court, Gulf News said.

“The bureau does not have any political motives and is not out to target any political party,” NAB’s Chairman Justice Javed Iqbal said. “[Politicians] can run election campaign but when summoned before NAB, they should appear before the bureau.”

Sharif was removed from office in July 2017 after an investigative report showed he had been dishonest about his employment, had not disclosed his salary and had bought luxury flats in London under the names of his sons. He has appeared before NAB prosecutors more than 70 times and was banned from politics for life in April.

The report was prompted by the 2016 Panama Papers leaks that showed Sharif had laundered money and hidden a part of his wealth using his family to prevent it from being linked directly to him.

The Sharif family and their political supporters have repeatedly rejected all allegations and believe he is a victim of a plot by Pakistan’s powerful military.