Pakistan's ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif to appear before accountability court today 

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif will today appear before a court here to face the corruption references filed against him by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in the Panama Papers scandal.

The Accountability Court in Islamabad, which is hearing the corruption cases against the Sharif family, last week summoned Sharif, his daughter Maryam and son-in-law capt (retd) Safdar to appear before it on September 26.

It is pertinent to mention that the Sharif family had skipped a court hearing on September 19 to defy the cases.

Sharif, who returned to the country yesterday, is likely to be accompanied by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders, including federal ministers, at his first appearance before the accountability court.

Heavy security arrangement have been made around judicial complex in view of the hearing.

Sharif was in London from August 31 to be with his ailing wife Kulsoom who is undergoing treatment for throat cancer.

Sharif, 67, decided to return after consultations with senior party leaders including his younger brother and Punjab province Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif in London, party officials said.

He had stepped down after the Supreme Court disqualified him on July 28 from continuing in his office for dishonesty and ruled that corruption cases be filed against him and his children.

The NAB has filed three cases of corruption and money laundering against Sharif, his sons -- Hassan and Hussain, daughter -- Maryam, son-in-law -- Safdar, and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar in the Accountability Court in Islamabad and Rawalpindi recently.

The anti-graft body last week froze the bank accounts and seized properties of Sharif and his family members to put pressure on them to appear before the court.

Earlier, Sharif skipped a court hearing last week to defy the cases. His family has alleged that the cases are politically motivated.