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Nawaz Sharif, daughter and son-in-law indicted in Avenfield graft case

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Trial against the ousted Pakistan Prime Minister and his family in the Avenfield properties case will start on October 26

In a move that is likely to increase political troubles for Nawaz Sharif, an accountability court in Islamabad indicted the ousted Pakistan Prime Minister, his daughter Maryam and her husband Captain (retired) Mohammad Safdar in a corruption case related to their London-based Avenfield properties case.

The indictment has now paved the way for a trial to commence against Sharif, his daughter and son-in-law in the Avenfield flats reference – one of the three references made by Pakistan’s National Accountability Bureau (ACB) against the Sharif family earlier this year after a five-judge Bench of the country’s Supreme Court disqualified Nawaz Sharif from holding the office of Prime Minister. Sharif was forced to step down from the Pakistan Premier’s office after the SC verdict which had stemmed from the cases filed against Sharif on the basis of allegations made against him and his family members during the Panama Papers leaks in 2016. The Panama Papers leaks appeared to show that Sharif’s daughter and two sons owned offshore holding companies registered in the British Virgin Islands and used them to buy posh flats in London.

Sharif is currently in the United Kingdom to attend to his ailing wife Kulsoom who is undergoing treatment for throat cancer at a hospital in London. The Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) chief and his sons Hassan and Hussain are likely to be indicted in the two more references made against them by the ACB later on Thursday.

During the hearing in the Avenfield properties reference in the Islamabad-based accountability court on Thursday, Maryam, Safdar and Nawaz Sharif’s pleader said that the ousted Prime Minister was pleading “not guilty” to the charges brought against him. Maryam and Safdar who were both present in the courtroom also pleaded not guilty.[/vc_column_text][vc_raw_html]JTNDaWZyYW1lJTIwd2lkdGglM0QlMjI4MTklMjIlMjBoZWlnaHQlM0QlMjI0OTElMjIlMjBzcmMlM0QlMjJodHRwcyUzQSUyRiUyRnd3dy55b3V0dWJlLmNvbSUyRmVtYmVkJTJGd05mTUhyWnM0b3clMjIlMjBmcmFtZWJvcmRlciUzRCUyMjAlMjIlMjBhbGxvd2Z1bGxzY3JlZW4lM0UlM0MlMkZpZnJhbWUlM0U=[/vc_raw_html][vc_column_text]“I do not plead guilty. Charges are not only groundless, baseless and unfounded but also frivolous, and on top of that we are being denied our right to fair trial. The charges are being framed on a report that is incomplete and controversial. It will go down in history as [a] mockery of justice and travesty of justice. Moreover, the charges are being framed without awaiting the detailed order of the Supreme Court in the review petitions,” Sharif’s pleader – Zafir Khan said in a statement before the court after the trio were indicted.

Earlier, the court had rejected applications filed by Sharif, Maryam and Capt Safdar which sought suspension of the indictment on grounds that the PML-N chief was in London to attend to his wife and so could not be present in the court for the proceedings. As a result, both Nawaz Sharif and his family’s lead counsel Khawaja Haris were not present during the indictment as they are both in London.

According to a report by Pakistan’s Dawn News, Maryam has been charged with being the beneficial owner of the London flats while Capt Safdar has been charged with being her accomplice in acquiring the said Avenfield apartments. The indictment order passed by the accountability court states that the “accused were unsuccessful in showing the sources of income used to purchase the London flats”.

On October 26, when the trial in the Avenfield flats reference begins, Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan’s (SECP) joint registrar Sidra Mansoor will record Maryam’s statement as the first witness in the case.

While speaking to reporters in Islamabad after the indictment, Maryam said: “one day there would be accountability of the accountability process” that her family is going through and that “Injustice and atrocities cannot continue together.”

The indictment of the Sharif family, which comes a little over two months after Nawaz Sharif was forced to step down as Prime Minister following the country’s verdict in the Panama Papers case against him, has given more ammunition to attack the ousted Premier’s political rivals in the country at a time when Pakistan’s general elections are less than a year away.

Speaking to Pakistan’s Geo News about Maryam and Capt Safdar’s indictment, Awami Muslim League (AML) leader Sheikh Rashid said: “The law has truly been implemented today.”

Fawad Chaudhary, spokesperson of cricketer-turned politician Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf party too expressed satisfaction over the indictment and hoped that the court would also indict Sharif and his family in the other two references made against them in corruption cases.[/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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