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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s deposed Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif arrived in London on Wednesday to be beside his wife Kulsoom Nawaz, who is undergoing treatment for throat cancer.
His political rivals at home view his travel as an attempt to avert the ongoing investigation against him over corruption, tax evasion, money laundering and other charges.
The Exit from Pakistan (Control) ordinance bars anyone federally accused on those grounds from leaving the country — a responsibility of the Interior Ministry.
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Pakistan’s top autonomous watchdog for corruption and economic terrorism, has yet to file references against the Sharif family and incumbent Finance Minister Ishaq Dar following the Supreme Court’s July 28 ruling in the Panama Papers case.
The NAB is expected to file four references after Eid Al-Adha as the six-week deadline set by the court nears expiration, said an official source.
Tax returns, bank accounts and other data dating as far back as 20 years have been collected by the NAB from the Federal Board of Revenue, the State Bank of Pakistan, and the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan to prepare the references.
The Sharifs and Dar have failed to appear before the NAB despite three call-up notices summoning them for questioning.
MP Maiza Hameed — campaigning with Sharif’s daughter Maryam Safdar to win the Lahore district NA-120 constituency, which was left vacant after Sharif’s ouster — told Arab News that the family “have their reservations about the verdict, and review appeals have been submitted to the court. That’s why they’re not appearing before the NAB until the court’s decision.”
Hameed said the Sharifs “haven’t been found guilty in any case, so why should their names be placed on the Exit Control List (ECL)?”
Political pundits say Safdar is being groomed as heir to her father’s party, the ruling Pakistan Muslim League — Nawaz (PML-N), and her current campaigning is an opportunity to prove her leadership skills.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the PML-N’s most vocal critic, says Sharif will not return to face anti-corruption charges.
But most PML-N members strongly believe that Sharif will fight the judicial battle to preserve his political legacy.
“Why would Sharif stay away from the country, where he is mostly loved by the people?” asked PML-N leader and former Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid.
“The circumstances aren’t similar to 2007, when military dictator Gen. Pervez Musharraf ruled. At that time Sharif wanted to return, but he wasn’t permitted.”