ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) pasted on Wednesday the summons for Hasan Nawaz and Hussain Nawaz on the main gate of the Sharif family’s residences at Jati Umra and Model Town in Lahore.
Sources in NAB Rawalpindi said that the action was taken in light of the accountability court’s decision in the Avenfield property case which directed the initiation of the process to declare the former prime minister’s sons proclaimed offenders, as they failed to show up in the court’s last hearing.
Both the respondents have been directed to appear before the court within 30 days.
In case both the respondents fail to appear before the court within the set time period, the process will then involve the publication of notices in newspapers directing the accused to appear in court.
Failure to do so will result in seizure of property and issuance of further warrants.
In the last hearing on October 9, NAB officials submitted in court a plea to declare Hasan and Hussain proclaimed offenders as they failed to show up in court despite issuance of non-bailable arrest warrants.
Approving NAB’s plea, the judge separated the trial of Nawaz’s sons and also ordered the initiation of the process of declaring them proclaimed offenders.
Earlier, Hasan Nawaz said that the summons, warrants or proceedings by the NAB don’t apply to him and his brother as both of them hold British nationalities.
“I am not a proclaimed offender and the NAB cannot make someone a proclaimed offender. In the absence of a crime, they are trying to catch a black cat in the dark,” he said.
Hasan said he has not received any NAB summons at his residential address in London where he has been living for the last 24 years. The former prime minister’s son said he is a British citizen and has never received the said summons according to British laws.
Hasan termed NAB’s actions an exercise that is nothing more than political victimisation and an effort to make “news headlines”.
