LAHORE: An accountability court on Thursday allowed an application by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for confiscation and auction of assets owned by PML-N president Shahbaz Sharif’s son in-law Imran Ali Yousaf, an absconder in Punjab Energy Development case.

The court had reserved its verdict on the application the other day after NAB Deputy Prosecutor Mr Asadullah concluded his arguments on the application. He also presented a report of the properties owned by Mr Yousaf.

The report showed that the son-in-law of former chief minister owns a plot in DHA Lahore measuring 2 kanals, which is mortgaged with a bank. The absconder also owns shares in Ali Trade Centre on M.M Alam Road, Gulberg, Ali Proceeds Foods, Ali & Fatima Developers, Ali & Company, Madina Feeds (Pvt) Limited and Ghausul Azam Developers. The The report reveals that wife of Mr Yousaf owns remaining shares in the Ali Trade Centre.

The NAB accused Mr Yousaf of receiving Rs131 million as bribe from Ikram Naveed, chief finance officer of Punjab Power Development Corporation.

Mr Yousaf never appeared before the court despite repeated summons. The court declared him an absconder eventually and allowed the NAB to collect details of the properties owned by the accused.

The prosecutor had asked the court to allow the application so that recovery of the bribe money could be materialised by auctioning properties of the accused.

Published in Dawn, October 12th, 2018