From Abid Usman
LAHORE: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has issued a proclamation notice against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif over his perpetual absence from trial proceedings in a case related to receiving luxury vehicles and gifts from Toshakhana.
The anti-corruption watchdog pasted a proclamation notice outside Jati Umra and Model Town residences of the Sharif family and will paste such notice at public places as well, sources familiar with the matter said.
According to the proclamation, Nawaz Sharif has until August 17 to join the trial proceedings or he would be declared a fugitive and all of his properties in the country attached. The notice pasted at the Jati Umra residence was torn into pieces shortly after it was put on. On June 30, an accountability court of Islamabad had issued bailable arrest warrants against former president Asif Ali Zardari and started the procedure of declaring former premier Nawaz Sharif a proclaimed offender in a reference accusing them and ex-PM Yousuf Raza Gillani of receiving luxury vehicles and gifts from Toshakhana.
A NAB prosecutor submitted a compliance report to Accountability Judge Asghar Ali stating that the bureau forwarded arrest warrants against Sharif, who is in London, through the Foreign Office. Observing that the PML-N supreme leader is not joining the trial proceedings intentionally, the judge issued directives for starting the process of declaring him a proclaimed offender over perpetual absence from the hearing.
