Pakistan’s anti-graft agency has approved the filing of two additional corruption references against former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in the accountability court.

The National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) regional board, under the chairmanship of its Director General Shahzad Saleem, convened earlier on Friday.

The board discussed the additional corruption references against 69-year-old Nawaz, his younger brother Shahbaz Sharif, daughter Maryam Nawaz and 13 others in money laundering and possession of assets beyond known sources of income investigations.

NAB-Lahore has forwarded both references to its chairman justice (R) Javed Iqbal for his final approval before filing it in the accountability court.

The references against the Sharif family members in the two cases will be filed in the accountability court, Lahore, next week after the approval of the NAB chairman, an official told PTI.

In the money laundering and income beyond means corruption reference, the Sharif family is accused of swindling 7 billion Pakistani Rupees.

Nawaz, Shahbaz and Maryam have been declared prime suspects in this case,” the official said, adding that the NAB will produce 100 prosecution witnesses against the suspects.

The NAB Lahore on Friday also initiated another probe against Nawaz, Shahbaz and Maryam for acquiring thousands of kanals in violation of rules making it part of their Jati Umra Raiwind Lahore residence.

In April, the NBA had announced moving court to declare Sharif a proclaimed offender in a land case involving Jang Group’s editor-in-chief Mir Shakilur Rehman, Dawn news reported.

Rahman is in judicial remand since he was arrested on March 12. Presently, he is in hospital on medical grounds.

In March this year, an accountability court exempted Sharif and his nephew Yousuf Abbas from appearing in proceedings of the Chaudhry Sugar Mills (CSM) corruption case till filing of a reference by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

Last year, in November, Sharif underwent a range of tests, including PET and CT scan, at a hospital in the UK to find out the exact cause behind his low platelet count.

On October 25, the Lahore High Court (LHC) had bailed Nawaz Sharif indefinitely on medical grounds in Chaudhry Sugar Mills case, days after he was taken to Services Hospital from Kot Lakhpat Jail after the deterioration of his health.

Sharif was sentenced to seven years in prison in the Al-Azizia Steel Mills corruption reference on 24 December 2018. Rs1.5 billion and the US $25 million fine, a disqualification of 10 years from holding any public office was part of the sentences awarded to the former premier.

Sharif had also secured bail in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills case from the Lahore High Court on the same ground.

The former prime minister is in the UK for his medical treatment.

(With inputs from agency)