Islamabad(May 15, 2018): Hearing of Al Azizia Steel Mills Reference Case against Sharif Family resumed on Tuesday in the Accountability Court.
Nawaz has reached the court of Accountability Court-I Judge Mohammad Bashir, who has been hearing the high-profile case since September last year.
As the hearing went underway, National Accountability Bureau (NAB) prosecutor Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi pleaded the court to record the statement of Nawaz and his family in the Avenfield case.
After Nawaz’s counsel Khawaja Haris and Abbasi completed their arguments on the request, the court reserved its verdict on the plea. 
Zia, who headed the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) that probed into Sharif’s offshore properties in line with the apex court’s order, informed the court that Sharif family sold 75 per cent shares of Gulf Steel Mills (GSM) and it was renamed as Ahli Steel Mills (AMS) in 1978.
He said the remaining 25 per cent shares were also sold but contrary to the claim of Sharif family that the money was handed over to Qatari Royals for investment purpose, this amount of AED12 million was used for clearing the liabilities of GSM.
To support this notion, Zia said Tariq Shafi, cousin of Sharif, obtained loans from Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI) for GSM and the amount remained outstanding till 1986 when Shafi opened another account in the BCCI.
Zia was of the view that since the bank, in general, does not allow opening of account till the clearance of outstanding amount, JIT assumed that Shafi had cleared the BCCI loans from the AED12 million. The witness testified that the JIT concluded that the letters of Qatari Royals were not real but myth.
Meanwhile, Nawaz Sharif’s counsel Khawaja Haris said the testimony of a witness is the same as he recorded in the Avenfield properties reference. Haris raised objections to the JIT report and requested the court not to exhibit it as it is inadmissible evidence.
Haris said an investigation report could not be treated as admissible evidence; secondly, it is inadmissible in the light of the apex court judgment of July 28 as it was prepared to respond the question top court formulated in its order of April 20, 2017.
He said the apex court had directed NAB to prepare and file references and court never ordered to treat the entire JIT report as evidence. Also, the JIT report comprises inferences drawn by the investigation team and in the light of various judgments of the superior judiciary, inferences could not be accepted as evidence.
Since the same evidence has already been read in the Avenfield reference, therefore, he said, it cannot be used in the Al-Azizia reference. Zia would continue his statement on Tuesday (today).
Background Of The Cases:
The trial against the Sharif family commenced on September 14, 2017 with a six-month deadline.
The corruption references, filed against the Sharifs, pertain to the Al-Azizia Steel Mills and Hill Metal Establishment, offshore companies including Flagship Investment Ltd, and Avenfield properties of London.
NAB had earlier filed interim references in all three cases and later added supplementary references to them with new evidence and witnesses.
Nawaz and sons Hussain and Hasan are accused in all three references whereas his daughter Maryam and son-in-law Safdar are accused in the Avenfield reference only.
The two brothers, based abroad, have been absconding since the proceedings began last year and were declared proclaimed offenders by the court.
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