ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Monday said that his sons Hussain and Hassan started businesses in the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia because the environment in Pakistan for them was not favourable at that time.

During the hearing of the Al-Azizia reference, Mr Sharif answered 28 more questions put to him by the judge of the accountability court. So far he has responded to 148 of the 151 questions.

Also read: Court given more time in two cases against Sharifs

While recording his statement, the former prime minister said the Sharif family was forced to establish its business abroad and his father set up Gulf Steel Mills in Dubai after the nationalisation of his steel mills.

He said that following the October 1999 military coup, the then military dictator sent the Sharif family into exile abroad where Hussain and Hassan started businesses to earn their livelihood.

Former PM’s statement in Al-Azizia reference before accountability court continues

He said the Sharif family did not leave the country out of their own volition but were forced to do that.

“Children of various people go abroad to acquire education and do business there and send remittances to their families, but if my sons send me some money it is being treated as a crime,” he said.

“I was prime minister thrice and if my sons were doing business in Pakistan my political rivals would call it conflict of interests,” he said, adding that his sons’ decision of doing business abroad was good.

He then asked the judge whether the prosecution accused him of taking kickbacks, laundering money or establishing business through proceeds of crime.

“I have failed to understand why these cases have been instituted against me. I am sure that the prosecution will fail to prove any illegality in these transactions.”

The National Accountability Bureau’s special prosecutor said the case against Mr Sharif was to know how his family’s companies were established and from which resources.

The court adjourned the proceedings in the Al-Azizia reference till Tuesday.

The defence counsel said that since the court was proceeding in the Flagship Investment reference simultaneously, he would request it to cross-examine the last prosecution witness in this case.

Meanwhile, the defence counsel informed the accountability court that the Supreme Court had further extended the time frame for concluding the Al-Azizia and Flagship Investment references.

The apex court has allowed another three weeks to the accountability court to conclude these references.

Published in Dawn, November 20th, 2018