LAHORE: Adviser to Prime Minister on Accountability and Interior Shahzad Akbar says the Sharif family has yet again been declared ‘liars’ as it tried to “spin” the London High Court judgment in the Broadsheet case in its favour and welcomed it through tweets.

At a news conference here on Monday, Mr Akbar claimed that the case was between the Broadsheet asset tracing company and the Pakistan government, wherein the company had got the Avenfield apartment attached in a provisional charging order in June 2020.

“When the Broadsheet received its claim of service charges as agreed in an agreement signed between the company and NAB back in around year 2000, the company withdrew its charging order as it had left with no claim on the property,” he said.

Soon after the Pakistan government cancelled agreement with the Broadsheet claiming that it could not assist the government to find ill-gotten assets of Pakistanis, the company entered into arbitration in 2009 claiming that 20 per cent of funds recovered should be given to it and eventually the quantum of payment was decided before the PTI government came into power.

Says govt to engage UK’s official agencies for asset tracing

As the PTI went into appeal against the judgment, the Broadsheet owner stated that the Pakistan government was showing interest in the Avenfield apartment and got a provisional charging order that the property could not be disposed of until the case would reach its logical end. As the present government made payment against the claims and judgment in favour of the Broadsheet, he said the company withdrew its charging order as it had left with no claim on the property.

“The Sharif family and the PML-N workers started expressing jubilation and distributed sweets that the Avenfield apartment reality has been revealed, without reading the judgment,” he said and added that Broadsheet owner Kaveh Moussavi also termed Sharif family’s claims as a pack of complete lies. He also quoted Moussavi as saying that “Sharif family is trying to spin the facts”.

“The PML-N narrative stands exposed that Nawaz Sharif was ousted on Iqama because he was removed for misuse of public office, corruption and money laundering,” Mr Akbar said.

To a question, the PM’s adviser said now the PTI government was not engaging any private asset tracing firm in London but entered into agreements with the UK’s official agencies like National Crime Agency and home department.

To a question about former finance minister Ishaq Dar, the PM’s adviser claimed that he had information about Dar visiting the asylum office in London. “In any asylum case, the government cannot become a party and the case will be decided on merit,” he said and added that the government had, however, submitted its representation to the British government explaining cases that required Dar to be extradited. “There is no decision on Dar’s asylum request as yet,” he stated.

About the extradition of Nawaz Sharif, Mr Akbar said the government was pursuing [it] through legal mechanisms.

Published in Dawn, January 12th, 2021