Hussain Nawaz’s case: UK accepts NAB’s request for legal assistance

ISLAMABAD: The UK Home Office has accepted the National Accountability Bureau (NAB)'s request for legal assistance in the case of Hussain Nawaz Sharif, it is learnt.

The documents available with The News show that the UK authorities have already forwarded Hussain’s case to its National Crime Agency for execution of the mutual legal assistance as requested by Pakistan.

Similar request made by the NAB in the case of Hassan Nawaz, the younger son of Nawaz Sharif, has not been responded to by the London authorities as yet apparently because of his British nationality.

Informed sources while sharing documents with this correspondent confided that the positive response from London is the consequence of a visit to the UK by an important “official” from Pakistan, not associated with NAB.

Following multiple requests for legal assistance in the case of Hussain Nawaz, the British Home Office responded through Carmen Sobande, UK Central Authority, on behalf of the secretary of state.

The UK Home Office letters addressed to Shazad Javed Khan of the National Accountability Bureau, Ata Turk Avenue, G-5/2, Islamabad, conveys the British government’s acceptance of the Bureau’s request. The reference number of two of these letters are: NO 8-2(3)/P/ICW/NABHQ/2017 and No 8-2(3)/P/ICW/NABHQ/2017/1232-35. “Your request for assistance has been considered and accepted by the UKCA on behalf of the Secretary of State and forwarded to the National Crime Agency for execution,” the Home Office communicated to the NAB in response to all its requests pertaining to Hussain Nawaz.

The News is in possession of at least four UK Home Department letters dated 17th November, 2017. Except minor changes like reference numbers, the content of all the letters is the same. Subject of all these official communications from UK talks about “LETTER OF REQUEST FOR LEGAL ASSISTANCE IN THE MATTER OF HUSSAIN NAWAZ SHARIF”. The operative part of these letters reads as:

“Thank you for your letter dated 27 June 2017 received on 6 July 2017.

I am the designated UK Central Authority (UKCA) caseworker in relation to this matter. Please quote the UKCA reference number (above) in all correspondence relating to this case. Your request for assistance has been considered and accepted by the UKCA on behalf of the Secretary of State and forwarded to the National Crime Agency for execution. I would be grateful if you could notify me immediately if the assistance requested is no longer required so that I can inform the National Crime Agency and close our file.

Yours faithfully…”