Islamabad(September 26, 2017): Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif appeared before the accountability court in connection with three corruption references filed against him by National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Supreme Court’s directions.
When the court took up the reference for hearing, Asif Kirmani, political secretary of Nawaz Sharif, informed the court that he had conveyed to Sharif family about the summon. He said that he had disgraced the task assigned to him by the court.
He added that Nawaz Sharif appeared today as per the summon, however, children of Nawaz Sharif were in London to look after their ailing mother who is undergoing cancer treatment.
As the court was overcrowded by PML-N leaders and other accompanied him. The court proposed that Nawaz Sharif be allowed to go by registering his attendance so that the court smoothly function.
After that the judge allowed Nawaz to go after registering his attendance in the court.
The court then went to a short recess. The proceeding will start shortly.
Nawaz Sharif was accompanied by his counsel Khwaja Harris, who will plead his case before the court.
Nawaz Sharif, who along with his children failed to appear before the court on the first summon on September 19, 2017 for being abroad, returned to the country on Monday morning.
A numbers of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders, including federal ministers, accompanied the former prime minister at his first appearance before the accountability court, which had summoned Mr Sharif after his failure to appear at an earlier hearing on Sept 19.
Strict security arrangements have been made for on the occasion of Nawaz’s appearance before the court. Heavy contingents of police and law enforcement agencies have been deployed around judicial complex which houses the accountability court.
The court had also summoned Mr Sharif’s sons — Hussain and Hassan — but they will not be appearing today as they are still in London where their mother is undergoing cancer treatment.
Accountability Judge Mohammad Bashir had earlier summoned Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz, sons Hussain and Hassan Nawaz and son-in-law retired Captain Mohammad Safdar on Sept 19 in connection with three corruption references filed by NAB under Supreme Court orders.
Though Mr Sharif and his children have publicly expressed concerns over the SC judgement and had filed review petitions before the same bench, the petitions were all dismissed on Sept 15.
NAB had filed three references against the Sharif family in connection with the London properties, the establishment of 16 companies, including Flagship Investment Ltd in the UK and Azizia Steel Mills and Hill Metal Establishment in Jeddah.
The former premier and his sons have been named in all three references, while Maryam and Capt Safdar have only been named in the Avenfield reference.
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