Pakistan anti-graft body challenges release of Sharif’s son-in-law

Pakistan’s anti-graft body on Friday approached the Islamabad High Court against the release of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s son-in-law in corruption cases linked to the Panama Papers scandal.

Sharif (67), and some of his family members are facing charges relating to their ownership of properties in London.

He resigned as prime minister in July after the Supreme Court disqualified him over undeclared income.

Three cases were lodged by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on September 8 against Sharif, his children and son-in-law Captain (rtd) Muhammad Safdar in the Accountability Court Islamabad, following a verdict by the Supreme Court.

The NAB petitioned the Islamabad High Court (IHC) against the anti-corruption court’s order to release Safdar on bail after the husband of Sharif’s daughter Maryam was taken into NAB custody upon arrival from London on October 9.

Safdar was taken into custody at the Benazir Bhutto International Airport in Islamabad, where he was set to appear before the accountability court, following the issuance of non-bailable arrest warrants after he failed to appear for previous hearings despite repeated notices, Dawn reported.

The NAB has requested the IHC to suspend the court’s order asking the agency to release Safdar on bail after he furnished surety bonds worth Rs five million ($47,546).

The prosecutor general of the NAB, making Safdar and the accountability court judge party in the petition, challenged the decision and requested that Maryam’s husband be sent to Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail on judicial remand.

The petition said that an order to release the suspect can only be passed by the Supreme Court, and that the accountability court should have sent Safdar to jail, the report said.

The petition comes days after Sindh province lawmakers criticised the NAB’s “double standards” in dealing with members of the Sharif family and others.

The cases are based on the July 28 disqualification verdict of the Supreme Court which had also asked to file three corruption cases against Sharif, his family and one case against Finance Minister Ishaq Dar.

The political future of Sharif, who leads the country’s most powerful political family and the ruling PML-N party, has been hanging in balance since then. If convicted, Sharif can be jailed.

Sharif’s family alleges that the cases are politically motivated.