ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s premiere anti-graft watchdog National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Friday obtained 14-day physical remand of the already arrested former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in Chaudhry Sugar Mills (CSM) financial scam.

Earlier in the day, a NAB team took former premier from Kot Lakhpat jail, where he is serving a seven-year sentence in the Al Azizia reference, and produced him before an accountability court of Lahore to secure a 15-day physical remand.

On Judge Chaudhry Ameer Muhammad Khan’s inquiring where the accused was Nawaz Sharif appeared at the rostrum.

The proceedings were disrupted by party workers of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) who had come in large to attend the hearing and express solidarity with their leader. They tried to take pictures with the former premier, however, once was restored NAB prosecutor Hafiz Asadullah Awan told the court that in 2016, Nawaz was largest shareholder in CSM and had retained his shareholding in Chaudhry Sugar Mills as well as in Shamim Sugar Mills.

The NAB prosecutor further alleged that Maryam Nawaz, PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif and other members of the Sharif family had also been shareholders in CSM.

He stated that CSM’s bank accounts had received foreign funds and in 1992 one foreign company alone had provided Nawaz with Rs55.5 million (Dirham 1.30 million). Awan said that they still do not know who the owner of this foreign company is.

‘Nawab had no role’

After the NAB prosecutor, Nawaz’s counsel, Advocate Amjad Pervez in his arguments denied that his client had ever been a shareholder or director in CSM.

“This is not the first time that Nawaz Sharif’s assets are under scrutiny,” he said, adding different governments in the past too had investigated the formation of the companies, but nothing was found.

He further said Nawaz had no role in the formation of CSM.

“For 30 years, Nawaz has been declaring his assets without fail,” he said.

Pervez said that a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) had already investigated all the issues, after which NAB had filed a reference in Islamabad.

“There is no justification for another investigation that is purely fake and fabricated,” he said.

My client is already in prison and if NAB wants to conduct an investigation, it can simply visit and ask him all these questions in the cell,” said Nawaz’ lawyer.

The court after hearing the arguments from both sides accepted NAB plea of physical remand and directed NAB officials to produce Nawaz Sharif again on October 25.

In his statement before the court, the former premier said NAB officials had visited him only once in jail and he had replied to all their questions to the best of his knowledge.

Ahead of the former premier’s appearance, routes and roads around the Accountability Court were closed and foolproof security measures were taken.

A number of PML-N leaders including party spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb, Senator Asif Kirmani, Nawaz’s son-in-law Mohammad Safdar, Senator Pervaiz Rasheed and Ameer Muqam were also present on the occasion.

What is Chaudhry Sugar Mills case?

NAB in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills case accuses members of the Sharif family of being involved in money laundering under the garb of sale/purchase of the sugar mill’s shares.

NAB has accused Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz and other family members of being direct beneficiaries of the mills.

Maryam was arrested in the same case in August this year along with her cousin Yousuf Abbas Sharif.

The bureau claims she had become the largest shareholder of the mills in 2008, having over 12 million shares in her name. Maryam and her cousin are currently on judicial remand till October 23.