Pakistan's anti-graft body all set to reopen four graft cases ex-PM Nawaz Sharif

Pakistans antigraft body is reopening at least four corruption cases against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif as he is scheduled to return to the country next month ending four years of selfexile in the United Kingdom an official said ThursdayThe 73yearold Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz PMLN supremo is scheduled to return to Pakistan from London on October 21 to lead the partys election campaign Nawaz left the country in November 2019 on medical grounds after the Lahore High Court granted him bail for four weeks He was serving a sevenyear imprisonment in the AlAzizia Mills corruption case at Kot Lakhpat Jail LahoreOn arrival in Lahore his party says he will address a rally at MinariPakistan where he will give a road map to steer the country out of the economic crisis governance problems and other issues the country is facing todayThe National Accountability Bureau NAB in the light of a Supreme Court ruling which struck down amendments made to the accountability laws by the previous Pakistan Democratic Movement PDM government led by Nawazs younger brother Shehbaz Sharif is reopening the four pending probes against NawazThe cases are related to illegal plots and land allotment dubious transfer of shares of his sugar mills and Toshakhana national treasury giftsNawaz Sharif being chief minister of Punjab province in 1986 had allotted plots in Lahore to several people by misusing his authority He is accused of illegal construction of several kilometres of road to his house in Jati Umra Raiwind Lahore in 1998 when he was prime minister in violation of rulesThe third case is related to the transfer of shares in illegal manners in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills case which is owned by Nawaz Sharif and his family members In this case his daughter Maryam Nawaz is also accused of being a major beneficiary an official privy to the development told PTI on ThursdayAlso read Delhi HC grants parole to foreigner murder convict to appeal in Supreme CourtThe fourth is related to the Toshakhana case in which he is accused of taking luxurious vehicles from the national treasury in violation of rules he saidBesides these cases Nawaz will have to face the case related to his convictionMeanwhile Nawazs close aide and senior PMLN leader Mian Javed Latif said the party has stopped iquestdemanding accountability of former army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa and former ISI head Gen Faiz Hameed for conspiring against Nawaz to topple his government in 2017The PMLN doesnt want accountability of Gen Bajwa and Gen Hameed but only those characters and facilitators involved in May 9 events and mutiny against the head Army Chief Gen Asim Munir of the institution he saidLatif was referring to attacks on military installations following the arrest of Pakistan TehreekiInsaf PTI chief Imran Khan in MayOn September 18 Nawaz demanded strict accountability of Gen Bajwa Gen Hameed and chief justices Asif Khosa and Saqib Nisar while addressing the partys ticket holders in Lahore via video link from LondonHe had hinted at trying them under treason charges if his party returned to power in the upcoming elections scheduled early next yearNawazs demand for strict accountability left many in the party in a precarious position as the leaders became wary of a possible backlash from the military establishment if he continued with such statementsSources told PTI that Nawaz backtracked from demanding accountability of army generals after a strong message was conveyed to him through his younger brother Shehbaz SharifThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever