ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s legal counsel Khawaja Harris continued on Monday cross-examining Wajid Zia, the star witness in a reference pertaining to Avenfield properties of the Sharif family.
Wajid Zia, the Federal Investigation Agency additional director who headed the Panama case Joint Investigation Team (JIT) that probed the Sharif family’s assets last year, was cross-examined for the eighth time after having recorded his statement in the case over six hearings earlier.
Accountability Court-I Judge Mohammad Bashir, who has been conducting corruption proceedings against the Sharif family since September last year, resumed hearing the case on Monday.
Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif along with his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law Capt (r) Safdar also appeared before the accountability court.
During the court proceedings, harsh words were exchanged between Nawaz’s counsel Khawaja Haris and National Accountability Bureau Deputy Prosecutor General Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi.
As soon as Harris started cross-examining Wajid Zia, the deputy prosecutor general objected and said that the defence lawyer should refrain from asking unnecessary questions.
The deputy prosecutor remarked that Nawaz Sharif had accepted that he had works for firm Capital FZE. “Will you refuse to accept the employment documents? Will you say that accused was not employed by the firm.”
The NAB prosecutor said that the statement of former interior minister Rehman Malik could have been used against Sharif family but the JIT did not solely depend on it.
“The top courts have rejected the way Khawaja Harris has been cross-examining Wajid Zia,” he said, adding that the legal procedure does not allow such cross-examination.
Responding to this, Khawaja Harris remarked: “Should I stop questioning the witness then?” The NAB prosecutor said that Harris should only ask relevant questions.
The last hearing of the reference was adjourned till today (Tuesday) due to the health issues of Judge Mohammad Bashir.
The case of the Sharif family’s London flats is based on a reference filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on the Supreme Court’s directives last year.
The anti-corruption watchdog had filed three corruption references against the Sharif family pertaining to the Al-Azizia Steel Mills and Hill Metal Establishment, offshore companies, including Flagship Investment Ltd, and Avenfield properties of London.
Published in Daily Times, April 10th 2018.
