If Convicted in Panama Papers, Nawaz Sharif May Flee to Saudi Arabia: Report

Karachi, January 10: Former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif who is facing trial in the Panama Papers scandal is planning to flee to Saudi Arabia if he is convicted by the National Accountability

Karachi, January 10: Former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif who is facing trial in the Panama Papers scandal is planning to flee to Saudi Arabia if he is convicted by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), CNN-IBN reported o Wednesday.

In December, Sharif met the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Muhammad bin Salman, who had also sent a plane to fetch the PML-N chief.

During the meeting, the two leaders were reported to have discussed a national reconciliation ordinance to help Sharif and his family leave Pakistan in case the NAB gives a verdict against the former Pakistan PM.

Last year in November, the NAB court indicted Nawaz in three separate graft cases stemming from the Panama Papers leaks, after rejected his plea for clubbing together those cases.

Along with Nawaz, his daughter Maryan and son-in-law Muhammad Safdar was also indicted by the NAB.

There are possibilities that Nawaz may face a life sentence if he is convicted by the court.

According to a report, the Pakistan Army which is the most powerful institution in the country is reportedly comfortable with Nawaz’s brother Shahbaz Sharif.

If PML-N wins the 2018 parliamentary elections than there are chances that the army may back Shahbaz to take over as prime minister of Pakistan.

Last year in July, Pakistan’s Supreme Court ordered Nawaz to step down and ruled that graft cases must be filed against him and his children over the Panama Papers scandal.

This was the third time when the veteran politician’s term as prime minister was cut short.

The Panama Papers scandal is about the alleged money laundering by Sharif family in 1990s, when Nawaz twice served as prime minister, to purchase assets in London.

Last year there were reports that the family of Pak PM managed to buy expensive properties in London through offshore companies owned by his children. The assets also include four expensive flats in London.