NAB references: Accountability court grants one week exemption to Nawaz Sharif
The hearing has been adjourned till Tuesday.
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Accountability court on Monday has resumed the hearing of Avenfield properties, Azizia Steel Mills and Flagship Investment references against Sharif family after a short adjournment due to delay in the decision of Islamabad High Court (IHC) over ex-prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s merger plea.
During the proceeding headed by Justice Mohammad Bashir, statements of the witnesses Malik Tayyab Mukhtar and Umar Daraz were recorded while Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz reached the court at 3pm.
The court has granted exemption to Nawaz Sharif for one week and rejected same plea of Maryam Nawaz.
Subsequently, the hearing has been adjourned till Tuesday.
On the other hand, IHC rejected Nawaz Sharif’s pleas seeking merger of all three NAB references against him and directed accountability court to continue trial against the Sharif family.
Nawaz Sharif said, “No matter whatever verdict is announced by Islamabad High Court on unification of three NAB references, seek favorable decision on immunity from appearance plea.” He taunted that he would be disqualified in Imran Khan and Jehangir Tarin disqualification cases too.
During previous hearing, the accountability court had adjourned the hearing of Avenfield properties, Azizia Steel Mills and Flagship Investment references till December 4.
Nawaz Sharif’s lawyer Khawaja Harris told that IHC has reserved its verdict on a plea seeking to merge all three NAB references.
He continued that no statement can be recorded until decision of IHC comes after which, the court adjourned the hearing without any proceeding.
SC disqualified Sharif from office in July over unreported sources of annual income of about $10,000, a salary the former premier denies ever receiving. The high court also ordered the NAB to investigate and conduct a trial into the Sharif family’s wider finances, including the London properties.
Sharif maintains control of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party, which elected close ally Shahid Khaqan Abbasi as prime minister after Sharif was disqualified.
