NAB to file reference against Nawaz, Shahbaz over 'illegal construction' of road

E-Paper | July 27, 2026

The executive board of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Wednesday approved the filing of six corruption references, including one against ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his younger brother Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif.

Presided over by the Bureau's chairman, retired Justice Javed Iqbal, the board approved filing a reference against the two Sharif brothers and others over the allegedly illegal construction of a road leading to their residence in 2000, a press release said.

The Sharif brothers allegedly caused a loss of nearly Rs125 million to the national exchequer by illegally constructing a two-way road between Raiwind and the Sharif family residence in 2000, the statement said.

Former premier Nawaz is already facing trial in three corruption references filed against him by NAB on directions of the Supreme Court in the Panama Papers case. He has pleaded not guilty in all references.

Although NAB had requested the apex court to reopen the Rs1.2 billion Hudaibiya Paper Mills reference, in which both Nawaz and Shahbaz were named along with other members of their family, the appeal was rejected by SC last month.

Investigation in Nandipur power project

The NAB executive board also approved an investigation against several former ministers and government officials in the Nandipur power project scam.

Since 2012, NAB has been investigating the Nandipur power project scam which resulted in a Rs113 billion loss to the national exchequer.

In May this year, the Bureau held the law ministry responsible for the scam when Babar Awan was the federal law minister in the previous PPP government.

Besides Awan, the NAB board has approved an investigation against former water and power minister Raja Pervez Ashraf, former law secretary Pir Masood Chishti, ex-water and power secretary Shahid Rafi and former director Aijaz Bashir. They have been accused of allegedly causing delays in the project, causing a loss of Rs113bn to the exchequer.

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Ahsan Gul

Dec 27, 2017 07:40pm

Yes, a full investigation and national money recovery is needed. This will set an example for every person in Pakistan.

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My Advice

Dec 27, 2017 07:41pm

Abuse of power by powerful politicians. Living like a king, while general public keeps suffering, no clean drinking or cooking water, no medical for poor, no education for poor children, but all the facilities and perks for powerful politicians. What a shame.

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Farooq Khan

Dec 27, 2017 08:09pm

Another mistake.

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Ali Mansoor

Dec 27, 2017 08:39pm

Waste of time. The said road also leads to one of the largest industrial estate of Pakistan.

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SHAHID SATTAR

Dec 27, 2017 08:45pm

Time to go and check everything under the sun against them. Isn't that what you were meant to be doing? Only you were afraid when they were in power. Now be afraid of those who are in power and the rest can be made to face the music.

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Zubair

Dec 27, 2017 09:08pm

Who was in power in 2000??

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Gul Hasan

Dec 27, 2017 09:36pm

We hear of investigation specially these days of ousted Nawaz, the nation is waiting for courts to come up with a solid verdict against all culprits so that corruption is rooted out once for all.

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Anti-Corruption_Pakistani

Dec 27, 2017 09:48pm

More references and more topi dramas along with PMLN's plan to created confusion and uncertainty in the country. This is my honest assessment, and I pray for peace and safety of all my country fellows and that we as a nation get rid of corrupt mafia soon!

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MONIER

Dec 27, 2017 09:51pm

Simply proves both PPP and PML-N governments are Raked with corrupt individuals and corrupt practices

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Ahmad R. Shahid

Dec 27, 2017 09:53pm

NS haters seem to be so blind that they have totally missed the point that NS was under detention in 2000 after the military coup in 1999.

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Shaukat Ali Khan

Dec 27, 2017 09:59pm

In 2000 they were not in power.

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Dec 27, 2017 10:00pm

@Ahsan Gul Who is in power in year 2000? Who was in jail in year 2000? first time in history guy from death cell was making roads to his house? I think jailer should also be charged.

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Sid

Dec 27, 2017 10:11pm

NAB needs to show results and get convictions.

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Tahir Chaudhry

Dec 27, 2017 10:29pm

They did not abide by any kind of laws then. Things, have not improved even after NS ouster. I hope the law does justice and take care of the Sharifs.

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Syed Ahmed, Canada

Dec 27, 2017 10:34pm

Nawaz Sharif not only made a road leading to Jati Umrah, illegally. He also built a huge bomb proof boundary wall around his palace and up graded his residence at the cost of tax payers money.

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Citizen

Dec 27, 2017 10:39pm

not good decision to file reference against Sharif brothers.

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Gaz

Dec 27, 2017 10:42pm

In 2000. So Nab is opening cases where they know Sharifs will have easy defence.

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Amjad Durrani Engineer USA

Dec 27, 2017 10:55pm

@My Advice What you do about them accept voting to bring them back repeatedly. If one look around there is corruption in all tiers of public life. Abuse of power flourishes when we as citizens of a democratic country accept it in totality. Complaining and that too as a whimper and doing nothing about it, is tantamount to connivance. Nobody else will come to our rescue, unless we show total revulsion and strengthen our accountability institutions to have a clean probe in these daylight plunder by the political elites and their cronies. If one is unable to bring any change to this pathetic condition where the powerful getaway with mega corruption and less fortunate are punished for petty thefts, as we have been doing this for so long, it is better not to make waves. IK may have all the accumulated wrongs in his personality but it is admirable that he stayed focused on his anti-corruption campaign and stirred the public opinion for the betterment of the country and our coming generation.

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Ahmed

Dec 27, 2017 10:58pm

This step should have been taken early by NAB, politicians should be accountable for their wrongdoings. Since long people of motherland is suffering.

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Fareed N

Dec 27, 2017 11:40pm

Why a road only, include boundary wall installed with the modern gadgets, alarms built at the expense of taxpayers money.

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Mohsin Malik

Dec 28, 2017 01:37am

But Nawaz was not in Power in 2000?.

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Ahmed

Dec 28, 2017 02:08am

Does this person have any shame left? mujhay kiyun Nikala. Is he waiting now for people to throw him out themselves or will he leave peacefully. Destroyed the economy and the image of the country.

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Syed ji

Dec 28, 2017 03:19am

just make sure he is on exit control list. otherwise no use.

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Naeem Qureshi

Dec 28, 2017 04:14am

How much looting Sharif brothers did. It is unbelievable.

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Machiavellian

Dec 28, 2017 04:56am

@Ahsan Gul .Yeah both the brothers must be thoroughly and extensively investigated.

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LAHORI KID

Dec 28, 2017 05:41am

These guys don't mess around, its never in millions, billions make each piece of the pie more rewarding.

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PAKISTANI TOO

Dec 28, 2017 06:15am

Pakistani judicial system is very slow, compare to the western nations. Justice should be fast and free for all.

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tahir

Dec 28, 2017 06:23am

NAB is like a Hyena that comes for scraps. Why it cannot stop scams when they start.

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JUSTICE

Dec 28, 2017 06:45am

These corrupt politicians shall not be allowed to use our taxpayer's money to defend their corruption cases.

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Farooq

Dec 28, 2017 06:57am

But they were not in Power in 2000. So how did they manage to construct this road ?

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Junaid

Dec 28, 2017 07:16am

Nothing will happen. All these references will follow the same fate of Hudaybia. They are basically fomulated along with weak prosecution to give clean chit to sharifs

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