ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Tuesday took up the appeal filed by National Accountability Bureau (NAB) against the Lahore High Court’s order to quash Rs1.2 billion Hudabiya Papers Mills reference against the Sharif family.
The three-judge bench, headed by Justice Mushir Alam and comprising Justice Qazi Faez Isa and Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel started the case hearing.
The top court wondered why NAB did not proceed against the Sharif family in the Hudabiya Paper Mills case during former military ruler Pervez Musharraf’s regime.
Justice Qazi Faez Isa observed that the reference was filed in March 2000 while the Sharif family was sent to exile in December 2000. Justice Isa asked Deputy Prosecutor NAB Imranul Haq why did they [NAB] then not proceed in the case during this period. He also asked the NAB attorney to point out how influence was used by the Sharif family to quash the proceedings in this matter.
Upon which the special prosecutor, Imranul Haq replied that the LHC had quashed the case over ‘technical’ reasons and the documents will be presented before the SC bench of they ask for it.
Justice Alam then inquired in which volume of the Joint Investigation teams in the Panamagate case verdict was which Hudabiya Paper Mills case mentioned.
To this he was informed that the case was mention in volume eight. He then asked for volume 8 to be presented before the court. He also asked for the original NAB reference in the Hudabiya Paper Mills.
Haq stated that accused had used the Economic Reforms Act to get away with their money laundering.
“Fake forms were made to launder money into foreign accounts and since he accused were live abroad no action could be taken against them,” the special prosecutor said.
The three-judge bench headed by Justice Mushir Alam asked for the complete record of accountability court proceedings.
The bench has also sought the list of all chairmen NAB and their appointing authorities and also sought a timeline of when Nawaz was in power. The hearing of the case has been adjourned till December 11.
