British court permits Broadsheet to serve freezing orders inside Pakistan

LONDON: The UK High Court of Justice has granted permission to Broadsheet LLC to serve freezing orders inside Pakistan on National Accountability Bureau (NAB) headquarters and Attorney General of Pakistan’s office in the capital after NAB’s London lawyers failed to respond to court orders over several weeks.

Broadsheet LLC had further approached the High Court of Justice – after securing a freezing order for nearly £1 million at the United Bank Limited London branch – pleading that NAB’s lawyers were not responding to their correspondence and the latest court orders.

This correspondent has seen the latest court order, issued by the Commercial Court, by Master Davison which orders that Broadsheet LLC has “permission to serve the Interim Order, the application notice, and all other documents filed in support of the Claimant’s application for the Interim Order on the Defendants out of the jurisdiction at the following addresses, such service to be effected in accordance with the State Immunity Act 1978 and CPR 6.44(2): a. First Defendant: Office of the Attorney General, 3rd Floor, Supreme Court Building, 44000 Constitution Avenue, Islamabad, Pakistan. b. Second Defendant: Attaturk Avenue, G-5/2, Islamabad, Pakistan.”

The order further says that Pakistan may, if so advised, file and serve on Broadsheet LLC written evidence stating any grounds of objection to the Court making a final third party debt order not less than 3 days before the hearing.

The court has mentioned that it was allowing Broadsheet LLC to serve the claim outside of the UK jurisdiction in pursuant to several awards and orders made by the UK High Court of Justice in the last two years in favour of Broadsheet LLC.

The court referred to the interim third party debt order of Master Davison dated February 15, 2021 made on the application of Broadsheet LLC for which a hearing has been fixed on July 30, 2021 for further consideration of the claimant’s application for a third party debt order.

The court said in the order that it was making the permission as Broadsheet LLC had made an application to serve the interim order on the defendants out of the jurisdiction in accordance with the State Immunity Act 1978 and upon reading the written evidence filed in support of the application.

Kaveh Moussavi, speaking to this correspondent, confirmed that he will be serving the order inside Pakistani jurisdiction through a Pakistani law firm within this week.

He said: “The government of Pakistan are not paying the balance and have forced us to freeze more of their assets. They are failing to instruct their London lawyers to enter a consent order so the bank will pay over the balance of the judgment debt. They are failing to instruct their London lawyers to accept Service. The result is more legal costs that they incur, more interest that accumulates...”

Around three weeks ago, the United National Bank London branch froze Pakistan’s account in compliance with an order issued three weeks ago by the London High Court in favour of the Broadsheet LLC.

The bank has informed the Broadsheet LLC and the London High Court in writing that Pakistan government’s account, operated by Pakistan High Commission London, with around £1 million in it has been frozen until next orders of the London High court.