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Pak accountability court issues bailable warrants against ousted PM Nawaz Sharif

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Nawaz Sharif

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Nawaz given time till Nov 3 to appear before the court which had earlier indicted him in the Avenfield properties graft case linked with the Panama Papers leak

In yet another setback to ousted Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who has been indicted in graft cases linked with the Panama Papers leak, an accountability court in Islamabad, on Thursday, issued bailable warrants against him in connection with two corruption references.

Sharif has been granted time till November 3 to present himself before the court. If the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) chief fails to appear before the accountability court on the said date, non-bailable warrants may be issued against him. On earlier hearings in the case, Sharif’s legal team had claimed that he was in London to attend to his ailing wife Kulsoom Nawaz who is undergoing treatment for throat cancer. However, the former Premier and his wife are currently in Saudi Arabia, where they had arrived earlier this week and were reportedly en route to Pakistan.

As the hearing into the three corruption references against Nawaz and his family members began in the accountability court on Thursday, the former prime minister’s lead counsel Khawaja Haris pleaded before Accountability Judge Mohammad Bashir that his client should be exempted from appearing in court owing to his wife’s illness and ongoing treatment.

However, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) prosecutor argued that Nawaz had been granted time to appear in the court on Thursday as his earlier exemption period of 15 days was now over. The NAB then pressed for warrants to be issued to Nawaz to secure his production in the court on the next date of hearing (November 3).

The warrants have been issued to Nawaz for his alleged role in the Azizia Steel Mills and Flagship Investment Limited references – both cases that were slapped against the former Prime Minister following an expose in the famous Panama Papers leak case.

Nawaz has not submitted surety bonds in the Azizia and Flagship references whereas he has submitted in the court a Rs5 million surety bond in the third reference made against him for his alleged role in the London-based Avenfield properties case, in which he was recently indicted along with his daughter Maryam and son-in-law Capt Muhammad Safdar and is awaiting trial.

Haris informed the accountability court that the former Prime Minister’s legal team has challenged Nawaz’s indictment in the references in the Islamabad High Court which is scheduled to hear the case on November 2.

Earlier, as the hearing began, Maryam Nawaz, the former Premier’s daughter who is accused in the Avenfield reference, reached the court after landing at Islamabad airport in a special plane from Lahore while her husband, Capt (retd) Safdar, arrived at the Federal Judicial Complex before her.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1509022436289{margin-bottom: 20px !important;border-bottom-width: 20px !important;padding-top: 20px !important;padding-bottom: 20px !important;background-color: #b2b1bf !important;}”][vc_column][vc_column_text]The references against Nawaz and his family:

The NAB has in total filed three references against the Sharif family and one against Finance Minister Ishaq Dar in the accountability court, in light of the Supreme Court’s orders in the Panama Papers case verdict of July 28.

The anti-graft body was given six weeks, from the date of the apex court’s order, to file the reference in an accountability court while the accountability court was granted six months to wrap up the proceedings.

The references against Sharif and his family pertain to the Azizia Steel Mills and Hill Metals Establishment, their London properties and over a dozen offshore companies owned by the family.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Court approves Maryam, Safdar’s bail

According to a report by Pakistan’s Geo News, Maryam and Safdar – who are indicted only in the London Avenfield properties reference – have been granted bail by the accountability court on the condition of them submitting surety bonds worth Rs5 million each.

Safdar was also directed to take the court’s permission before leaving the country from now on. The judge also provided a copy of the reference — spread over 53 volumes — to Maryam and her husband.

NAB’s Rawalpindi branch prepared two references regarding the Azizia Steel Mills and Hill Metals Establishment, and the nearly dozen companies owned by the Sharif family.

Its Lahore branch prepared a reference on the Sharif family’s Avenfield apartments in London and another against Finance Minister Ishaq Dar for owning assets beyond his known sources of income.

If convicted, the accused may face up to 14 years imprisonment and lifelong disqualification from holding public office including the freezing of bank accounts and assets.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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India envoy Dinesh Trivedi meets PM Modi after talks with Bangladesh PM Tarique Rahman 

India’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi met PM Modi after talks with Bangladesh PM Tarique Rahman amid diplomatic tensions.

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India’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Tuesday, a day after his meeting with Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman in Dhaka.

According to the High Commission of India in Bangladesh, Trivedi sought PM Modi’s guidance on further strengthening the bilateral relationship between India and Bangladesh through a constructive and people-centric approach.

The meeting came a day after Trivedi held discussions with Tarique Rahman on matters of mutual interest and ways to advance ties between the two neighbouring countries.

Dinesh Trivedi Meets Bangladesh PM

During his meeting with Tarique Rahman on Monday, Trivedi conveyed greetings from Prime Minister Modi and reiterated India’s commitment to working with the Bangladeshi administration and its people in a positive, constructive and forward-looking manner.

The two sides discussed issues of mutual interest and explored avenues for strengthening India-Bangladesh relations with a people-centric approach.

The engagement took place at the Prime Minister’s Office in the Cabinet Division at the Bangladesh Secretariat. Trivedi also shared his experience of serving in Dhaka over the previous two months.

Sheikh Hasina Extradition Request

The meeting assumed significance as Bangladesh has expressed hope that India will expedite the extradition process involving former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who was ousted following a student-led uprising in 2024.

According to a statement issued by the Bangladesh Prime Minister’s Office, Dhaka also reiterated its request for India to return individuals it alleges were involved in the killing of Shahid Osman Hadi, a prominent figure associated with the July uprising who was shot on December 12, 2025.

Tarique Rahman stressed the need to create a suitable environment to take forward relations between Bangladesh and India.

Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman, Prime Minister’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Humayun Kabir and other officials attended the meeting.

India-Bangladesh Ties Amid Diplomatic Friction

The latest high-level engagements come amid diplomatic tensions between the two countries following a virtual press interaction by Sheikh Hasina in New Delhi on August 5.

The event, organised by the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of South Asia to mark the second anniversary of her ouster, prompted strong objections from Dhaka.

During the interaction, Hasina said she remained determined to return to Bangladesh in December and restore democracy, while acknowledging the possibility of imprisonment or a death sentence upon her return.

Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs subsequently registered a strong protest and said the development had affected public sentiment and complicated efforts to strengthen bilateral cooperation.

India has said the government had no involvement in the event. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said it was organised by a private media entity and clarified that New Delhi did not endorse views expressed at the forum.

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Trump, PM Modi will resolve tariff issue over Russian oil trade, says US official

White House Trade Adviser Peter Navarro said Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will resolve the issue over US tariff threats linked to India’s Russian oil trade.

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US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will resolve the issue surrounding the threat of US tariffs linked to India’s purchase of Russian oil, White House Trade Adviser Peter Navarro said on Tuesday.

Navarro’s remarks came days after the US Senate passed a bill authorising the US President to impose tariffs of up to 100 per cent on the top five purchasers of Russian oil. The measure argues that such purchases directly contribute to financing Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Navarro comments on India’s Russian oil trade

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Navarro said India was not involved in the oil trade with Russia before the Ukraine war began in 2022.

He alleged that India became heavily involved in the trade after Russia’s invasion and sold refined products on behalf of Russia, which he said helped support the Russian war effort.

“Prior to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, India was not involved in the oil trade with Russia, but afterwards it got heavily involved,” Navarro said.

The White House adviser also claimed that the issue had since been resolved and attributed some of the shift in India’s Russian oil trade to an opinion article he recently wrote in the Financial Times.

Trump and Modi will resolve issue, Navarro says

Navarro said the relationship between Trump and Modi would help address the tariff-related issue.

“The president and your prime minister have a very good working relationship. They are going to work that out amongst themselves,” he said, adding that it was not his place to intervene.

His comments come amid US concerns over countries purchasing Russian oil and proposed measures aimed at imposing additional tariffs on major buyers.

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US Senate passes Russia sanctions bill, India-China face 100% tariff risk

The US Senate has passed a Russia sanctions bill that could allow 100% tariffs on major buyers of Russian oil and gas, including India and China.

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Donald Trump

The US Senate has approved a bipartisan Russia sanctions bill that could allow President Donald Trump to impose tariffs of up to 100% on major buyers of Russian oil or natural gas, including India and China.

The legislation was passed by an 86-11 vote and will now move to the US House of Representatives, which is scheduled to reconvene on August 31.

The bill is named in honour of Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a strong supporter of Ukraine who died on July 11. Graham had pushed for tougher sanctions against Russia over its war in Ukraine.

India and China among major Russian energy buyers

The legislation gives the US president the power to impose tariffs on the world’s top five purchasers of Russian oil or natural gas.

India and China are among those countries, along with Azerbaijan, Hungary and Slovakia.

The bill also contains an exception for countries importing less than 15% of their natural gas from Russia and taking steps to reduce their dependence on Russian supplies.

What does the Russia sanctions bill contain?

Apart from the proposed tariffs, the legislation includes sanctions targeting Russian President Vladimir Putin, senior Russian political and military officials, financial institutions and energy projects.

The bill would also expand US sanctions to older and reflagged oil tankers allegedly used by Moscow to bypass existing restrictions on Russian oil and energy revenues.

At the same time, the White House would have the option to waive sanctions or restrictions if the president certifies to Congress that doing so is in the national interest.

Bill also extends Iran sanctions law

The legislation also contains a provision related to Iran. It would extend the expiration date of the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 until 2031.

The law penalises companies that invest in Iran’s energy sector.

The bill’s passage in the Senate marks the next step in the US legislative process, but it still needs approval from the House of Representatives before it can move forward.

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