LAHORE: On Tuesday, Hussain and Hassan, the sons of PML-N chief executive Nawaz Sharif, made their way back to Pakistan after spending six years abroad to evade apprehension over allegations of corruption stemming from the Panama Papers controversy.
Their return was made possible by the suspension of their arrest warrants in three corruption charges involving the Panama Papers last week by an accountability court.
Both had been living in self-imposed exile in the United Kingdom, much like their father.
Because the media was not notified of Hussain and Hassan Nawaz’s return, the PML-N kept their arrival a “low-key” event. After arriving in Lahore from London, they were taken by the Punjab police to their Jati Umra home, which was heavily guarded.
Following their names being revealed in the corruption proceedings, Hussain and Hassan Nawaz departed the nation in 2018. Due to their refusal to cooperate with the investigation and legal proceedings, they were labeled proclaimed offenders, and warrants for their arrest were later issued.
The arrest warrants for Hussain and Hasan in relation to the Avenfield flats, Al-Azizia, and Flagship Investment corruption references had been suspended by the Islamabad accountability court until March 14.
They had submitted an application, which the court accepted, asking for the suspension of the warrants issued against them in these cases through their attorney, Qazi Misbahul Hassan.
In order to participate in the proceedings, the petitioners had stated that they wished to turn themselves in “in good faith” before the court. By March 14, they would appear in court.
“The purpose of the perpetual warrant of arrest is to procure attendance of the accused and if accused intends to surrender himself before the court, they may be given an opportunity to face the trial,” the NAB prosecutor submitted, and the court accepted this argument.
Hussain had acknowledged holding offshore assets in their written response to the Supreme Court in the Panama Papers case, while Hassan had categorically denied having any overseas real estate.
