LAHORE: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has submitted details of the moveable and immoveable assets owned by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif before an accountability court in a reference of 34-year-old illegal land allotment wherein he had been declared an absconder for not joining the proceedings.

The NAB in its report says that Mr Sharif owns multiple pieces of agricultural land including 936 kanal 10 marla, 299 kanal 12 marla and 312 kanal and 14 marla in Lahore, 88 kanal 50 marla and 14 kanal and five marla in Sheikhpura. The former premier also owns an urban property at Upper Mall.

As per the record of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan, Mr Sharif holds shareholdings in Muhammad Bakhsh Textile Mills (5.82 per cent), Hudabiya Papers Mills (3.59pc), Hudabiya Engineering Company (10.86pc) and Ittefaq textile Mills (0.96pc).

The report reveals that the absconder owns four vehicles in his name including one Toyota Land Cruiser and one Mercedes and two tractors.

The court on Nov 10 had issued perpetual arrest warrants for Mr Sharif after completing the process to declare him an absconder in the reference, which also involves Jang group editor-in-chief Mir Shakilur Rehman.

The NAB in its reference alleged that Rehman illegally obtained exemption of 54 plots each measuring one kanal situated in Block-H, Johar Town.

It alleged that the allotment of the land had been made in connivance with then chief minister Nawaz Sharif against the exemption policy and the laws for monetary gains. It said the suspects caused a loss of Rs143.53 million to the national exchequer through allotment of the land in violation of exemption policy.

Published in Dawn, December 17th, 2020