Corruption hearing against Nawaz, family adjourned till 2pm due to defence counsel’s absence

ISLAMABAD: The accountability court hearing graft references filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his family adjourned the hearing until 2pm due to the absence of lead defence counsel Khwaja Haris.

As the hearing went underway, Nawaz, daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law MNA [Member National Assembly] Capt (r) Safdar appeared in court.

Four prosecution witnesses in the Avenfield reference will record their statements when the hearing resumes. Moreover, the date for recording statements of two UK-based witnesses will be determined today.

At Friday’s hearing, the court had approved NAB’s plea to record statements of two UK-based witnesses via video link.

THE REFERENCES:

The NAB has in total filed three references against the Sharif family and another against the then-finance minister Ishaq Dar in the accountability court, in light of the Supreme Court’s orders in the Panama Papers case verdict of July 28.

The anti-graft body was given six weeks, from the date of the apex court’s order, to file the reference in an accountability court while the accountability court was granted six months to wrap up the proceedings.

The references against the Sharif family pertain to the Azizia Steel Mills and Hill Metals Establishment, their London properties, and over dozen offshore companies owned by the family.

Maryam and Safdar are only nominated in the London properties reference. At an earlier hearing, the court also approved Maryam and Safdar’s bail in the Avenfield properties case and ordered them to submit surety bonds worth Rs5 million each.

Safdar was also directed to take the court’s permission before leaving the country from now on. The judge also provided a copy of the reference — spread over 53 volumes — to Maryam and Safdar.

NAB’s Rawalpindi branch prepared two references regarding the Azizia Steel Mills and Hill Metals Establishment, and the nearly dozen companies owned by the Sharif family.

Its Lahore branch prepared a reference on the Sharif family’s Avenfield apartments in London and another against Finance Minister Ishaq Dar for owning assets beyond his known sources of income.

If convicted, the accused may face up to 14 years imprisonment and lifelong disqualification from holding public office including the freezing of bank accounts and assets.