Lahore, Sep 19 (IANS): The Lahore High Court (LHC) Friday decided to start ex-parte proceedings against 61 politicians, including Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and former president Asif Ali Zardari, in a case against alleged illegal transfer of assets to foreign countries.

A petition filed said that prominent politicians, including Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman Imran Khan and former president Asif Ali Zardari, had transferred their assets to foreign countries via illegal means, Dawn online reported.

The petition requested the court to issue orders to bring the allegedly illegally transferred assets back to Pakistan.

The order disables the politicians, who failed to submit their affidavits in response to the court's directive to declare their assets, from defending themselves and will affect high-profile politicians including the prime minister, the Punjab chief minister, Imran Khan and Zardari.

In June, the Lahore High Court had issued notices to the politicians, including the prime minister, on a petition seeking directions to the politicians to bring their foreign assets back to Pakistan.

On Sep 2, only three of those 64 initially directed had filed affidavits in this regard.

The case has been adjourned to Sep 29.