Pakistan’s prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, does not appear before a court hearing cases of corruption against him when he was in London to care for his sick wife.
The court of accountability is listening to corruption cases filed against Sharif, 67, after the Supreme Court on July 28 disqualified him in the Panama Papers scandal.
The court, which held its first hearing on 19 September, had summoned Mr. Sharif, his daughter Maryam, the sons Hussain and Hasan and their son-in-law Muhammad Safdar.
Asif Kirmani, a political adviser to Mr. Sharif who appeared in court on his behalf, told the media after a brief hearing that the former prime minister was in London to take care of his sick wife and would soon return.
Sharif’s wife, Kulsoom Nawaz, is being treated for cancer in London.
“I informed the court that my [Mr. Sharif] leader was in London with the whole family because of his wife’s illness,” he said.
The court upheld the allegation and adjourned the case until September 26. He also ordered that a new summons is issued for the first previous family to appear at the next hearing.
Earlier, the National Accountability Office (NAB) filed four corruption cases on September 8 against Sharifs and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar.
According to the Supreme Court, the accountability judge must decide the cases within six months.
