(Image source from: Al Jazeera)

Nawaz Sharif Held Guilty In All 3 Corruption Cases Against Him:- An anti-graft court, on Friday, indicted Pakistan’s ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif (67) in a third case of corruption. The case relates to his investments abroad and in other offshore companies.

Sharif, now, has been indicted in all the three cases levied against him. In all the three cases, Sharif’s sons - Hasan and Husain - are also co-accused. But, the trial would be carried on separately.

Sharif was charged by Accountability Court Judge Mohammad Bashir, in absentia for holding assets beyond his known sources of income. A charge sheet to his pleader Zafir Khan, was also read out by the judge. It was one of the three cases of corruption and money laundering. The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) registered the cases against Sharif and his family on September 8.

After Sharif was disqualified as prime minister by the Supreme court, on July 28 in the Panama Papers scandal, the cases were registered. Zafir Khan on behalf of Sharif pleaded not guilty to the charges. Sharif is in London with his ailing wife Kulsoom. His wife, who has undergone three surgeries so far is undergoing treatment for throat cancer.
Addressing media in London on Thursday, Sharif once again contended his disqualification and termed his indictment in absence as “murder of justice”. He also announced to come back before hearing of October 26. There were also reports that he would come back on Sunday. The court in Islamabad was told that his sons - Hassan and Hussain - were his dependents in 1989 and 1990.

However, a record of assets for Hassan from 1990-1995, were submitted by Sharif, the charge sheet read. Sharif had held important positions in public office, including those of the chief minister and the prime minister, observed the charge sheet.

Sharif was indicted by the Accountability Court on Thursday, in the Avenfield Properties and Al-Azizia Company cases through his pleader. The charges against his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law Capt (retd) Muhammad Safdar were framed in the Avenfield reference in their presence. Not guilty to the charges, justified the Sharif family and infact they claimed that a fundamental right to a fair trial was denied.

A petition in the Supreme Court, was filed by Sharif, the former three-time prime minister, challenging the filing of multiple graft cases against him by the country’s anti-corruption watchdog. Under the Constitution, the multiple cases were “violative of his (Sharif’s) fundamental rights” as all the cases deal with one accusation about making assets beyond known means of income, maintained Sharif’s lawyer.

SUPRAJA