Islamabad (October 19, 2017): The Accountability Court hearing NAB references against Sharif family indicted former minister Nawaz Sharif in another NAB reference, Azia Steel Mills Reference.
Earlier, the court indicted Nawaz along with his daughter Maryam Nawaz Sharif and son-in-Law Capt (retd) Safder in Avenfield Reference. Accused pleaded not guilty and opted to contest the charges.
After indictment in Avenfield Reference, the court went into recess till 2:00 pm.
Judge Muhammad Bashir resumed hearing of the Azizia Steel Reference at 2:00 pm. Though Nawaz did not attend Thursday’s hearing, his legal representative Zafir Khan was present in the court.
The judge read out the charges against the accused to his representative. Zafir plea not guilty on behalf of Nawaz and told the court Nawaz would contest the charges.
The judge then directed NAB to produce prosecution witnesses for recording statement in next date of hearing.
Earlier the court indicted Nawaz, his daughter Maryam and son-in-law Capt (Retd) Safder in a reference over London flats. Before indictment, the court rejected two separate applications filed by Nawaz Sharif and Maryam and Safder seeking to stop proceeding
the three accused after dismissing their separate pleas to suspend proceedings and halt their indictment.
Nawaz, through his representative Zafir Khan, Maryam and Safdar rejected the charges by pleading ‘not guilty’ and vowed to contest the case.
The charges state that the 2006 trust deed of the London properties is fake as it used the Calibri font before it was made publicly available and the accused also submitted bogus documents in the Supreme Court.
The hearing of the Avenfield properties case was then adjourned until October 26 when the prosecution will produce its witnesses.
Furthermore, Nawaz is expected to be indicted in the two other references against him after the hearing of the case resumed around 2:30pm.
Earlier, during the hearing of references filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in light of the Supreme Court’s July 28 verdict in the Panama Papers case, Nawaz’s counsel, Ayesha Hamid, pleaded the court to suspend proceedings until the Supreme Court decides on her client’s plea regarding the re-filing of references.
Similarly, Maryam and MNA Capt (retd) Safdar’s counsel, Amjad Pervez, argued before Accountability Judge Mohammad Bashir that his clients were not provided with the complete documents of the case and thus the indictment process should be halted.
However, the judge dismissed both pleas after which Nawaz filed another plea requesting the court to combine the three references but that too was dismissed.
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.
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