The assistant commissioner of Lahore’s Cantonment area on Monday ordered auction of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s property in the Punjab capital in line with a ruling of an accountability court that was given in April this year.
On April 23, the accountability court had accepted a petition filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Rawalpindi, for auction of assets owned by Sharif, patron of the main opposition party of the country, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).
The accountability court ordered auction of PML-N supreme leader’s assets after he was declared a proclaimed offender in the Toshakhana reference.
“The auction of property known as 135 Upper Mall Lahore, situated in Mouza Mian Mir, Tehsil Cantt. Lahore is scheduled to be held on Friday, 19.11.2021 at 10:00AM at the compound of Assistant Commissioner’s Office Cantt,” the assistant commissioner said in a notification.
In May this year, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had rejected three petitions seeking hearing against the auction of properties owned by Sharif.
In October this year, an accountability court ordered confiscation of the property owned by Sharif in the Toshakhana vehicles reference. Former prime minister Yusuf Raza Gilani and former president Asif Ali Zardari have also been made respondents in this case.
Details of the properties to be auctioned off are as following: 1,650 kanal agricultural land in Lahore, a Mercedes car, a Land Cruiser, two tractors, local and foreign bank accounts, a bungalow in Murree, and 102 kanal land in Sheikhupura.
In this reference, the NAB has accused Sharif and Zardari of obtaining cars from Toshakhana (the gift depository of the government of Pakistan) by paying just 15 percent of the original price of various cars.
The auction process of 88 kanal and four marla land owned by Sharif in Ferozepur Town of Sheikhupura was completed recently on the orders of the accountability court.
On May 18 this year, the government authorities had decided to auction off Sheikhupura and Lahore properties of the former prime minister.
The court ordered the Lahore and Sheikhupura deputy commissioners to sell Sharif’s immovable properties in their respective jurisdictions and deposit their proceeds within 60 days after receiving the orders.