ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s counsel, Khawaja Haris, Thursday claimed before an accountability court (AC) that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) was “not serious” in summoning his client to make him a part of the Al-Azizia Steel Mills investigation.
According to the details, AC judge Arshad Malik heard the Al-Azizia Steel Mills reference case filed by NAB against the former premier. The accused, who attended the proceedings for some time, was allowed to leave the court before the case was adjourned.
During the course of proceedings, the defence counsel pleaded that NAB had issued a summon notice to the former prime minister “only as a legal formality” whereas the security officer of Shamim House, who had received the summon notice, was not made a part of the investigation process.
“The purpose of the summon was not mentioned in the notice and the NAB investigation officer has also accepted this fact,” he added.
Haris said the declaration of the letters from Qatari Prince Hammad bin Jassim as ‘fiction’ after receiving his response was not right. “The Joint Investigation Team (JIT) should have written to the prince only to verify his letters in person, and there should not have been any objection on sending a questionnaire to him,” he added.
To this, the judge remarked that the prince must be wondering what was his role in the episode.
The defence lawyer said that the prince had been told to undergo an investigation session by the JIT regarding the letters. “He, however, did not refuse to verify his letters and called the team to Doha to answer its questions,” he added.
Haris could not conclude his arguments as the court then adjourned the case till Friday (today).