The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Friday obtained 14-day physical remand of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in connection with the Chaudhry Sugar Mills (CSM) case.
Strict security measures have been put in place, with routes leading to the accountability court being closed ahead of the PML-N leader’s appearance.
Speaking to media outside the accountability court before his appearance, Nawaz said he he fully supports JUI-F’s Azadi March.
Nawaz said he appreciated Fazl’s spirit and fully supported him. “We consider Fazl’s position as our own and support it. If Maulana is protesting, then that is fine.”
The PML-N leader further said, “Maulana Fazl had suggested resignation right after the election. He had said suggested we protest, but we had convived him otherwise at the time. I believe we were wrong at that time.”
The NAB prosecutor had further alleged that Maryam, PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif and other Sharif family members had also been shareholders in CSM.
He had stated that CSM’s bank accounts had received foreign funds, adding that in 1992 one foreign company alone had provided Nawaz with Rs55.5 million. Awan said that they still do not know who the owner of this foreign company is.
After the NAB prosecutor concluded his statements, Nawaz’s counsel, Advocate Amjad Pervez, denied that his client had ever been a shareholder or director in CSM.
“This is not the first time that Nawaz Sharif’s assets are under scrutiny,” he said, adding that opposing governments had previously also investigated the formation of the companies, but nothing was found.
He further said Nawaz had no role in the formation of CSM.
According to Pervez, all of Nawaz’s children had instead been directors and shareholders in the sugar mill. “For 30 years, Nawaz has declared his assets,” he said.
Pervez said that a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) had already investigated all the issues, after which NAB had filed a reference in Islamabad.
“There is no justification for another investigation; this is a fake case,” he said.
He also argued that there was no need for the court to give NAB physical remand of the former premier and alleged that his client had been wrongfully arrested.
“NAB’s dishonesty in the case is evident and this is just one more case being formed on political grounds,” said Pervez.
He also described NAB’s “disclosures” in the CSM case as “baseless”.
Nawaz’s noted that said his client was already in prison and if NAB had wanted to conduct an investigation, they could have simply visited him in his cell.
“Nawaz Sharif is serving his sentence after a trial and his arrest is not as per the law. Nawaz should not be handed over to the agency on physical remand for even an hour,” he argued.
He had further pleaded that Nawaz be discharged in the CSM case.
In his statement before the court, the former premier said NAB officials had visited him only once in jail and he had answered all questions he could, adding that he had not shared information which he did not have knowledge of.
Nawaz said that he had requested to meet his lawyer and alleged that he was not permitted to do so.
“The allegations being made against me are fake. NAB is conducting an investigation on declared assets,” he said.
He said that NAB officials had come and stated the grounds for the arrest.
“The allegations that have been made are baseless. Our name was in 32 industries, tell us where there was corruption.”
Nawaz said that he had been a minister as well as the prime minister three times and said that if corruption was proven during these time periods he would withdraw not just from the case, but from politics.
“[Former dictator retired Gen Pervez] Musharraf created NAB for me. Musharraf had only one target which was Nawaz Sharif. NAB is only being used against PML-N and the opposition.”
“I am already in jail, if there is such an enmity [with me] tell me where they want to take me.”
“If they think that PML-N will panic and bow [to pressure], this will never happen.”
As Nawaz presented his statement, supporters chanted slogans in the courtroom. The judge told him only to speak about the case.
CSM SAGA
The Chaudhry Sugar Mills case involves members of the Sharif family who are accused of being involved in money laundering under the garb of sale/purchase of the sugar mill’s shares.
NAB has accused Nawaz and his daughter, PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz, of being a direct beneficiary of the mills. Maryam was arrested in the case in August along with her cousin Yousuf Abbas Sharif. The bureau said she had become the largest shareholder of the mills in 2008, having over 12 million shares in her name.
Maryam and her cousin are currently on judicial remand till Oct 23.
