Former Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif, daughter, son-in-law indicted on corruption charges

Pakistan's former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has been indicted on corruption charges stemming from leaked documents known as the Panama Papers.

An accountability court on Thursday indicted Sharif, as well as his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law Mohammad Safdar. A lawyer for Sharif, who is currently in London, where his wife is receiving medical treatment, entered a plea of not guilty.

The former prime minister's daughter Maryam Sharif and her husband, Mohammad Safdar, attended the hearing and also pleaded not guilty. The proceedings were headed by Justice Muhammad Bashir.

The charges stem from a trove of documents leaked from a Panama law firm that investigators say showed the family held unreported assets overseas. The family has



denied any wrongdoing.

The Sharif family has the option to challenge the court's decision within two weeks however following the indictment a further probe will be initiated.

Sharif's political future has been hanging in balance since the Supreme Court disqualified him. In July this year, the Supreme Court of Pakistan disqualified then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif as a member of the National Assembly in the Panama Papers leak case. The court had also disqualified Pakistan's finance minister Ishaq Dar from office.

The Supreme Court had ordered the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to file case against Nawaz Sharif and his children within six weeks. Following the Supreme Court's judgment, Nawaz Sharif had resigned as prime minister of Pakistan.