Islamabad (Nov 7, 2017): Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam and son-in-law MNA Capt (retd) Safdar appeared before the accountability court hearing corruption references against them.
The PML-N chief arrived at the judicial complex, which also houses the accountability court, accompanied by a large number of party leaders and cabinet ministers.
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The three, along with Nawaz and his sons Hussain and Hasan, face corruption charges in the Avenfield properties case.
Accountability Court judge Muhammad Bashir has resumed the proceeding. The judge is hearing Nawaz application for clubbing all the three references together against him and a single trial.
The detailed order of Islamabad High Court directing the accountability court to re-hear the former PM application for clubbing the petition was presented in the court.
Lead Counsel Khwaja Harris is advancing arguments on the plea to club the petition and holding a single trial of the former PM.
Nawaz, Maryam and Safdar have been indicted in the case whereas Nawaz’s sons have yet to appear before the court and will soon be declared proclaimed offenders.
Nawaz and Maryam reached Islamabad from Lahore on Monday after which the former premier held a meeting with his legal and political aides at Punjab House.
At the last hearing on November 3, Judge Mohammad Bashir adjourned proceedings in light of the Islamabad High Court’s order directing it to re-hear Nawaz’s plea seeking to club the three references together and held single trial.
In his petition, Nawaz pleaded the IHC to declare the October 19 decision of the court rejecting their clubbing plea illegal and order the accountability court to combine the three references against him into one.
Nawaz also submitted in court at the last hearing surety bonds worth Rs5 million each for the Flagship and Azizia Steel Mills references.
The court, today, will thus first decide Nawaz’s plea to club the references and then the regular proceedings of the case will move forward.
The NAB has filed three references against the Sharif family and one against 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.
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