Daily Times

After former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his younger brother PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif, another member of the Sharif family, Yousuf Abbas Sharif has fallen ill.

Yousuf Abbas is currently on judicial remand in a case related to Chaudhry Sugar Mills scam. Complaining about the toothache, Yousuf Abbas filed an application in accountability court, seeking orders to shift him to the hospital from the jail due to treatment. The plea was moved through the jail superintendent.

“I have been suffering from teeth pain (sic) and should be moved to hospital for the proper treatment,” reads Abbas’s plea. However, the court turned down the plea of the Sharif family member and directed the jail authorities to conduct his proper treatment in jail. Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz, Hamza Shahbaz and Yousuf Abbas are being investigated in the reference filed by the accountability bureau over alleged money laundering through Chaudhry Sugar Mills. NAB Chairman Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal had issued arrest warrants of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif on October 04. The NAB alleged that a $15 million loan was taken on the pretext to set up the Chaudhry Sugar mills despite the fact that it had already been established before the loan was acquired. The loan was never transferred to Pakistan as shown by the record of the State Bank of Pakistan, according to the accountability bureau.

Meanwhile, a bench of the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday issued notices to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman and others over the bail petition of Yousuf Abbas Sharif in CSM case. A division bench of the high court headed by Justice Ali Baqar Najafi heard the petition and summoned reply of the NAB officials on December 16.

Yousuf Abbas has made the Chairman NAB, Director General NAB Lahore and the investigation officer as party in his petition. Yousuf Abbas in his petition said that Sharifs are a business family and believed in the rule of law.

The NAB arrested him in Chaudhry Sugar Mills money laundering inquiry but presented no evidence against him, the petition said. “The petitioner was detained 48 days on physical remand but nothing produced against him.” The NAB alleged Rs 410 million money laundering but all transactions were on record and the money was arrived in Pakistan via the banking channels with taxes paid on it. The petitioner said that the accountability bureau has levelled baseless allegations against him and pleaded to the court for granting him bail in the case. The NAB alleged that a $15 million loan was taken on the pretext to set up the Chaudhry Sugar mills despite the fact that it had already been established before the loan was acquired. The loan was never transferred to Pakistan as shown by the record of the State Bank of Pakistan, according to the accountability bureau. The probe stated that more than Rs7 million worth of shares were transferred to PML-N vice president Maryam Nawaz in 2008 through mill’s shares, which were later transferred to Yousuf Abbas Sharif, son of the late Abbas Sharif, in 2010.

Hamza Shahbaz

Separately, the accountability court commenced its session in the ongoing assets beyond means case against Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz’s Hamza Shahbaz on Thursday.

The court extended leader of the opposition in the Punjab Assembly’s judicial remand by 14 days and adjourned proceedings till December 12. A supplementary reference in the ongoing Ramzan Sugar Mills corruption investigations being undertaken by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) against the politician was submitted in the court against the accused in the previous hearing. Hamza was handed over copies of the reference and was ordered to submit an answering to the allegations accordingly. The court was then adjourned till December 12 in this case too.

LNG scandal

Meanwhile, the Islamabad High Court on Thursday issued a notice to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) over bail petition of former finance minister Miftah Ismail in Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) scandal.

A two-member bench of the high court headed by Chief Justice Athar Minallah summoned the NAB’s reply over the bail plea on December 10. The court has also directed the accountability bureau to submit para wise comments on Miftah Ismail’s bail after arrest petition. Advocate Hyder Waheed represented the former finance minister before the court. Miftah Ismail has pleaded for his release on bail until the final decision of the case.

Ismail, an accused in the LNG case, has been in Adiala Jail on judicial remand. The court adjourned further hearing of the case till Dec. 10. Ismail filed the bail petition after the high court granted bail to former managing director of Pakistan State Oil (PSO), Sheikh Imranul Haq, a co-accused in the same case. In his petition Ismail made the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and the secretary of law as party.