NAB to file appeal in SC against LHC’s verdict on Hudaibiya Mills case: sources

ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau on Thursday decided to file an appeal in the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) against the verdict passed by the Lahore High court in the Hudaibiya Paper Mills case, sources informed Geo News. 

The appeal would be filed on September 15. As the superior court, once the apex court rules on the appeal, the accountability body will be able to pursue the case once more. 

The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) had submitted the entire record of the Hudaibiya Paper Mills to the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) probing the Panama case.

Earlier, Awami Muslim League chief Sheikh Rasheed, one of the three petitioners in the Panama Papers case, had submitted a petition in the apex court against NAB's failure to reopen the Hudaibiya Paper Mill case.

The petition stated that on July 21, during the hearing of the Panama Papers case, NAB had informed the apex court it would reply in seven days regarding the reopening of the Hudaibiya case. 

However, the bureau failed to reply within the stated time period and NAB chairman was even sent a notice in this regard but that too has yet to be replied to, the petitioner claimed.

Moreover, it was stated in the petition that the apex court had also directed for probing the Hudaibiya case in its July 28 judgment. 

NAB had decided to not reopen the Hudaibiya Paper Mills case against the Sharif family.

The decision was taken by NAB authorities on the grounds that earlier in October 2011, a Rawalpindi division bench of the Lahore High Court (LHC) restrained the accountability court from proceeding in the matter after former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and members of his family challenged the revival of the references and requested the court to quash the cases.

NAB authorities also stated that the Supreme Court had not clearly directed to reopen the Hudaibiya case.

The anti-graft watchdog's prosecution branch had also given its advice on the case.