ISLAMABAD: A high court in the United Kingdom has ordered that $28.7 million be debited from the accounts of the Pakistan High Commission in London over non-payment of a penalty by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to a foreign firm, Pakistani media reported on Friday.
Broadsheet LLC, a US-based assets recovery firm, was used during the tenure of military ruler General Pervez Musharraf to help the then-government and newly established NAB track foreign assets purchased through illegal money.
Last year, the company filed a claim with the London High Court to enforce the payment of the outstanding $22 million owed to the firm by NAB. Broadsheet had also asked that an interest of $4,758 per day be applied, Dawn newspaper reported.
The deadline for the payment of the penalty owed to the firm was December 31.
An English court in December 2018 issued an order for payment of $22 million to Broadsheet by the government of Pakistan. In July this year, the government unsuccessfully appealed the arbitration.
The arbitrator found that Pakistan and NAB had wrongfully repudiated an asset recovery agreement with Broadsheet and ruled that the company was entitled to damages, Dawn said.
UK court orders Pakistani High Commission to pay $28.7 mln owed by accountability bureau
https://arab.news/rfk9b
UK court orders Pakistani High Commission to pay $28.7 mln owed by accountability bureau
- The row is over non-payment of a penalty by the National Accountability Bureau to a foreign assets recovery firm
- Broadsheet LLC was used during tenure of military ruler Musharraf to help NAB track foreign assets purchased through illegal means
Daesh media chief for ISKP in Pakistan’s custody — state media
- Sultan Aziz Azzam, a senior member of ISKP, used to head its Al Azzam media outlet, says state media
- Azzam was arrested in May while attempting to cross into Pakistan from Afghanistan, says state media
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani authorities have taken into custody Sultan Aziz Azzam, the head of Daesh regional affiliate ISKP’s media outlet, state media reported on Thursday citing intelligence sources.
The state-run Pakistan TV Digital reported that Azzam was a senior member of ISKP and hailed from Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province. As per the state media report, he is also a graduate of the University of Nangarhar where he studied Islamic jurisprudence.
Pakistan TV Digital reported Azzam joined ISKP in 2016 and later became a prominent member of its leadership council.
“He was arrested in May 2025 while attempting to cross from Afghanistan into Pakistan,” Pakistan TV Digital reported, citing intelligence sources.
“He is believed to have overseen media operations and headed ISKP’s Al Azzam media outlet.”
In November 2021, Washington listed Azzam as a “Specially Designated Global Terrorist” (SDGT). The move bars American citizens from engaging in transactions with persons designated as SDGTs.
According to a report on the UN Security Council’s website, Azzam has played an “instrumental role” in spreading Daesh’s violent ideology, glorifying and justifying “terrorist acts.”
“Building on his former experience as an Afghan journalist, his activity as ISIL-K’s spokesperson has increased ISIL-K’s visibility and influence among its followers,” the report states.
The report further states Azzam claimed responsibility on behalf of Daesh for the suicide attack near Hamid Karzai International Airport on Aug. 26, 2021, which killed at least 170 Afghans and 13 US service members and injured 150 more.
The development takes place amid tense relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan, with Islamabad alleging militants use Afghan soil to carry out attacks against Pakistan. Kabul denies the allegations.
Tensions surged in October when Pakistan and Afghanistan engaged in fierce border clashes, claiming to have killed dozens of soldiers of the other side.
Pakistan has urged the Afghan Taliban-led government to take “decisive action” against militants it says operate from its soil. Afghanistan says it cannot be held responsible for Pakistan’s security challenges.
