NAB submits progress report to SC monitoring judge

ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) submitted its first progress report before the Supreme Court of Pakistan on Friday, revealing its next course of action if the accused failed to appear before the trial court next week.

The report carrying updates about four references filed against ex-prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his three children and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar was submitted by Prosecutor General NAB Waqas Qadeer Dar.

“We have filed four references ordered by the apex court at the NAB Court-I Islamabad. These references have also been fixed for hearing. All the accused have also been summoned accordingly for next week. Investigators’ findings and necessary additional documents have been clubbed with these references — all material/evidences consisted of some four dozen volumes were presented before the court,” revealed a senior official of NAB quoting gist of the said reply.

Waqas Qadeer submitted this response with office of Justice Ijazul Ahsen, who is monitoring proceedings of the country’s top corruption watchdog in Panama case order, added the official who is familiar with the latest development. It’s a first official progress report after the Panama order announced, another official who has been engaged in this process, said. The report prepared by prosecutor general and director operation NAB, with cooperation of investigation officers (IOs), further stated that the body would inform the top court about its next course of action if the accused failed to appear before the accountability court next week, the NAB official further confided to this correspondent. “Section 21 and 24 would be brought into force sooner than later,” he further revealed.

The report was presented after Prosecutor General Waqas Qadeer Dar and two other senior officers NAB reportedly briefed Justice Ijazul Ahsen about the ongoing progress over the Panama order’s implementation, possible filing of appeal into Hudaibya Paper Mills case in particular.