LAHORE: An accountability court on Wednesday ordered freezing of the immovable assets of opposition leader in the National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif and his family members in connection with an investigation into the income beyond means and money laundering cases.

Judge Chaudhry Amir Mohammad Khan of the accountability court ordered freezing of the properties of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz president, his wives, sons Hamza and Suleman and others.

The court said the order by the NAB chairman about freezing of assets was lawful in the light of statements by approvers. While allowing NAB’s application, the judge observed that the affected party (Shahbaz and his family members) could approach the court within 14 days.

NAB had stated: “Having examined evidence collected so far during investigation, it is found that there are reasonable grounds for believing that the accused – Shahbaz Sharif, Hamza, Suleman and others – have committed the said offences. These properties, therefore, are attached under Section 12 of the NAO 1999 till the disposal of the reference by the accountability court.”

The frozen properties include two bungalows in Model Town and Nishat Lodges in Dunga Gali, Murree, which had been acquired by Mr Sharif in the name of his wife, Nusrat. A cottage, a villa and a plot in Haripur and two houses in Lahore’s Defence area, which he had acquired in the name of his other wife, Tehmina Durrani.

Besides, the properties include 390-kanal land in Chiniot in the name of Hamza and Suleman. Nine plots measuring five marlas each in Jauhar Town and a five-kanal house in Lahore’s Judicial Colony in the name of Hamza.

PML-N Information Secretary Marriyum Aurangzeb had earlier said that the properties had been declared by the Sharif family and NAB’s ‘fresh action’ against the party head and his family had been taken at the behest of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Published in Dawn, December 12th, 2019