UPDATE - Pakistan’s ex-PM Sharif indicted on corruption charges

UPDATES WITH MORE DETAILS, BACKGROUND

By Islamuddin Sajid

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AA) - An accountability court on Thursday indicted former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif along with two other family members on corruption charges.

Judge Mohammad Bashir Khan of the accountability court Islamabad indicted Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz, and son-in-law Mohammad Safdar in two of the three corruption cases. The judge adjourned the indictment in the third case till Friday.

Sharif, who is presently in London, where his wife Kulsoom Nawaz is being treated for cancer, pleaded not-guilty through his representative, whereas Maryam and her husband were present in the court when the charges were framed.

"We have rejected all the allegations in the court because they are based on lies but we respect the court and will face the charges," Maryam told reporters outside the court.

The court also rejected Sharif, his daughter and son-in-law's petitions seeking suspension of their trial in all corruption cases till disposal of their petition in the Supreme Court.

Sharif’s two British-national sons -- Hussain Nawaz and Hassan Nawaz -- who are also co-accused in all the corruption cases against their father, have already been declared absconders for skipping the proceedings.

Strict security arrangements were observed inside and outside the judicial complex and the ruling party’s workers were barred to enter the court premises.

Supreme Court of Pakistan ousted the former premier from the office on July 28 in Panama Papers case. The court found that Sharif had acted in an untrustworthy manner by failing to declare a salary from his son’s Dubai-based company ahead of the 2013 election.

The apex court had also ordered the country’s anti-corruption watchdog National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to open several cases against him, his children, son-in-law and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar.

According to evidence submitted by the National Accountability Bureau, Sharif's have four posh London apartments, two steel mills in Saudi Arabia and several offshore companies in the United Kingdom.

The April 2016 Panama Papers revealed that three of Sharif’s children owned offshore assets not shown on his family's wealth statement, including luxury apartments in London.

The former premier, who has held the premiership thrice but never completed a full term, however maintains his innocence and has rejected all accusations of financial irregularities against him. He has repeatedly said that all transactions made by his family members were fair and in compliance with the country’s laws.

Sharif, 67, was re-elected as head of his right wing Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz group) following a controversial legislation by the parliament allowing any individual to become head of a political party even if he is not qualified to become a member of parliament.

*Aamir Latif contributed to this report from Karachi.