Nawaz confident over lack of corruption evidence, rubbishes controversy surrounding Saudi visit

ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday stated that evidence of his corruption was yet to be discovered and that his current trip to Saudi Arabia was nothing out of the ordinary.

He was talking to the media after attending the corruption proceedings against him at the accountability court in Islamabad.

Nawaz lamented the judiciary’s favourable treatment of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, stating that he was dislodged from office merely over an imaginary salary, “while Imran Khan was absolved of corruption despite having admitted to the crime”.

The former premier also expressed disappointment at rumours that his recent visit to Saudi Arabia was to seek ‘safe passage’ from his present predicaments.

“Spreading such rumours was unfair on Saudi Arabia,” said Nawaz, adding that Saudi-Pakistan relations are historic and solid.

He claimed there was nothing extraordinary about his visit, adding that those spreading baseless rumours have brought harm to the country.

GRAFT PROCEEDINGS AGAINST SHARIF FAMILY:

Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law Captain (r) Muhammad Safdar appeared before an accountability court in Islamabad on Wednesday, as hearing into three references filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) went underway.

The former premier along with his daughter reached the court from the Punjab House amid tight security, while Safdar reached there separately.

The hearing was a first after winter holidays and the proceedings were initiated after NAB filed three references against Nawaz and his family in light of the Supreme Court’s July 28 judgment in the Panama Papers case.

The three references pertain to the Al-Azizia Steel Mills, offshore companies including Flagship Investment Ltd, and London’s Avenfield properties.

A number of senior cabinet members and leaders of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) were present at the Federal Judicial Complex where the court is situated.

Speaking to the media on his way to the court, Safdar said the time has come to bring former president Gen (r) Pervez Musharraf back to Pakistan to face the courts.

RECORDING WITNESS TESTIMONIES:

As Judge Muhammad Bashir resumed the hearing, a NAB prosecution team presented two more witnesses – an official of Inland Revenue department Muhammad Tasneem and NAB’s assistant director Zawar Manzoor – to testify against the ruling family.

Tasneem told the judge that he provided verified income and wealth tax record of Sharif, and his sons to NAB officials in presence of investigation officer Jehangir Ahmed. Manzoor, on the other hand, testified against the Sharif family in the Avenfield reference.

After they recorded their statements, defence counsel Khawaja Haris cross-examined them.

The hearing was then adjourned till January 9, 2018.

After them, NAB’s last witness — Federal Investigation Agency Additional Director Wajid Zia — will remain from the list of witnesses originally submitted by NAB.

Zia headed the Panama case Joint Investigation Team which produced a crucial report leading to Nawaz’s disqualification by the Supreme Court.

The court has so far recorded testimonies of nine witnesses against the Sharif family. At the previous hearing, the accountability judge recorded statements of three witnesses.

NAB REFERENCES: 

A five-member bench of the Supreme Court on July 28 had directed NAB to file references against Nawaz and his children in six weeks in the accountability court and directed the trial court to decide the references within six months.

The Supreme Court also assigned Justice Ijazul Ahsan a supervisory role to monitor the progress of the accountability court proceedings.

The former premier and his sons, Hassan and Hussain, have been named in all three NAB references, while Maryam and husband Safdar have been named only in the Avenfield reference.

SHARIF FAMILY DECIDES NOT TO FILE REPLY WITH NAB:

Meanwhile, disqualified premier Nawaz filed a reply with NAB on the same day, stating that recording statements whilst accountability courts are trying the family in corruption references would not be suitable.

Sources have reported that the reply calls for NAB to file evidence against the family and documents in this regard with accountability courts for the defence to prove those wrong.

The former prime minister has appeared before the accountability court on ten occasions, Maryam Nawaz appeared 12 times, and Captain (retd) Safdar on 14 occasions.