NAB asks DC to auction Nawaz Sharif’s properties in Lahore

LAHORE: National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Lahore on Tuesday asked the deputy commissioner of the city to auction former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s properties to recover the £8 million fine imposed on him in the Avenfield case.

According to a letter, a copy of which is available with Bol News, NAB informed the DC that an accountability court of Islamabad has not only convicted Nawaz but also imposed a fine of £8 million.

It said that NAB had approached an accountability court to seek a justification from the Sharif family regarding the Avenfield apartment No 16, 16-A, 17, 17-A in London.

The anti-corruption watchdog informed the court that Nawaz, along with his daughter Maryam, son-in-law Capt (retd) Muhammad Safdar were convicted and sentenced by the court when they failed to provide the money trail. It also shared that the former prime minister’s sons Hassan and Hussain were also declared proclaimed offenders in the case.

The bureau informed the DC that Nawaz had challenged his sentence before the Islamabad High Court which was rejected. It added that Maryam and Safdar’s appeals are still before the court.

“In this regard, the amount of court fine imposed on convict Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif by learned accountability court is to be recovered as arrears,” read the letter.

In the letter, NAB has sent a list of various properties owned by the former prime minister in Lahore that can be auctioned.

The properties identified included the 940 kanal land at Moza Manak, 299 kanal land at Moza Badoki Sani, 103 kanal land at Moza Mall and 312 kanal land Sultankey in Lahore. It has also identified house No 135 located at the Upper Mall.

“It is therefore, requested to initiate recovery proceedings to recover imposed court fine of £8 million against the convict under Land Revenue Act 1967 through auction of above said properties, and any other properties owned by the convict and forward the auction proceeds to this bureau in shape of demand draft/pay order favoring chairman NAB,” read the NAB letter.

The watchdog has requested the DC to “treat the matter as most urgent”.