Daily Times

Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s seized agricultural land in Sheikhupura district went under the hammer on Thursday, a private TV channel reported.

As many as 88.4 kanals of agricultural land in Ferozwattoan was put up for auction after an accountability court allowed an application filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), seeking directives for the authorities concerned to auction the attached properties of PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif.

A trader, Mohammad Bota, made the highest bid of Rs10.1 million per acre for the land.

Bidding at the Sheikhupura municipal corporation opened at Rs70 million per acre. “Three people took part in the auction,” Additional Deputy Commissioner Faisal Saleem said. “The highest bid was Rs 10.1 million per acre,” he said. The total amount of about Rs 115 million will be deposited in the national exchequer after the approval of the accountability court.

On April 23, Accountability Court Judge Syed Asghar Ali had directed the deputy commissioners of Lahore and Sheikhupura to sell immovable properties within 60 days, including House N0 135, Upper Mall, Lahore and 88.4 kannals of agricultural land.

The NAB through Deputy Prosecutor General Sardar Muzaffar Khan Abbasi had filed the application with the court. Abbasi stated that the accountability court had declared Nawaz Sharif a proclaimed offender in the Toshakhana reference. Despite a lapse of six months, the former premier had not surrendered himself before the court, he added The anti-graft watchdog had decided to auction his property after he was declared a proclaimed offender in the Toshakhana reference.