Exit Control List: NAB for placing names of Nawaz, Maryam, others

National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Wednesday recommended placing the names of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, his daughter, two sons and son-in-law on Exit Control List (ECL), as investigations into allegations of corruption and corrupt practices against them are under way and there is a possibility that they can flee the country to avoid the process of law. A NAB official said the decision to put the names of the Sharif family members on no-fly list was made by Chairman NAB former Justice Javed Iqbal and a letter has been sent to the Ministry of Interior in this regard.
The official said that a letter to place the names of the Sharif family members on ECL was sent to the Ministry of Interior hours after the NAB chairman approved two references against Nawaz Sharif and his sons Hussain Nawaz and Hassan Nawaz, daughter Maryam Nawaz, and son-in-law Captain Muhammad Safdar (retd) in the Flagship Investments and Al-Azizia Steel Mills and Hill Metal Establishment. Maryam and Safdar are accused in the Avenfield reference filed by the NAB.
According to the allegations mentioned in the letter sent to the Ministry of Interior, in compliance with the Supreme Court order of July 28, 2017 in constitution petition number 29/2016, investigations into the allegations of corruption and corrupt practices and amassing assets beyond means, against the subject accused were conducted and references were filed in the Accountability Court, which are pending adjudication. Further investigations are under process while the accused persons did not join the proceedings at the NAB, despite being served with the summons and there is a likelihood that they can flee abroad to avoid the process of law.
About Hussain Nawaz and Hassan Nawaz, the letter said that the two accused persons have been declared proclaimed offenders by the trial court and in case they return to Pakistan, they will be arrested on their arrival to produce them before the court for finalization of the cases pending against them.
The NAB had already filed a supplementary reference against Sharif, his sons, daughter and son-in-law in connection with the Avenfield properties reference on January 22 and the court admitted it on January 30. The Sharif family through their counsel also submitted an exemption plea before the Accountability Court on February 19 for two weeks on account of medical condition of Nawaz's wife Kulsoom Nawaz.
The source said supplementary references have been prepared in light of fresh evidence collected during the investigation. Following the approval, the NAB has filed these references in the Accountability Court. Following the Supreme Court's judgment regarding the Panama Papers case on July 28 last, the NAB had filed three references against the Sharif family on September 8, 2017 including: a) reference relating to the Avenfield Properties (Flat No-16 and 16-A, 17 and 17-A Avenfield House, Park Lane, London, United Kingdom); b) a reference relating to establishment of Azizia Steel Mills and Hill Metal Company, Jeddah; c) and the third reference is about the establishment of companies including Flagship Investment Ltd, Hartstone Properties Ltd, Que Holdings Ltd, Quint Eaton Place 2 Ltd, Quint Saloane Ltd, Quaint Ltd, Flagship Securities Ltd, Quint Gloucestor Place Ltd, Quint Paddington Ltd, Flagship Developments Ltd, Alanna Services Ltd, Lankin SA (BVI), Chadron Inc, Ansbacher Inc, Coomber Inc and Capital FZE (Dubai).