LAHORE: An accountability court on Tuesday allowed further time to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for completing attachment process for the assets of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and directed the NAB to submit compliance report by January 18.

Nawaz Sharif had been declared absconder in a reference about illegal land allotment in favour of Jang Group editor-in-chief Mir Shakilur Rehman. The court had also issued perpetual warrants for the arrest of Nawaz Sharif after completing the process to declare him an absconder in the reference.

The investigating officer told the court that the process to attach the moveable and immoveable properties of the absconder was underway and soon be completed.

According to the NAB, Sharif owns multiple piece of agricultural land measuring 936 kanal 10 marla, 299 kanal and 12 marla and 312 kanal and 14 marla in Lahore while 88 kanal and 50 marla and 14 kanal and 5 marla in Sheikhupura. The former premier also owns an urban property at Upper Mall.

As per the record of the Security Exchange Commission of Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif also holds 5.82 percent shares in Muhammad Bakhsh Textile Mills, 3.59 percent in Hudabiya Papers Mills, 10.86 percent Hudabiya Engineering Company and 0.96 percent in Ittefaq textile Mills. The record reveals that Nawaz owns four vehicles in his name including one Toyota Land Cruiser and one Mercedes and two tractors.

The NAB in its reference alleged that Mir Shakeel illegally obtained exemption of 54 plots each measuring one-kanal situated in Johar Town Lahore. It alleged that the allotment of the land had been in connivance with then chief minister Nawaz Sharif against the exemption policy and caused a loss of Rs 143.53 million to national exchequer.