ISLAMABAD: The prosecution witness in cases against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his family in the accountability court, Robert William Radley, has admitted that the first edition of Window Vista was released on January 31, 2007, while the first edition of Window Vista Beta was issued in 2005 but for the licensed IT experts.
“Window Vista issued three editions. The first edition of Window Vista was released on January 31, 2007, and the first edition of Window Vista Beta was issued in 2005 for the IT experts,” he corroborated during the cross-examination by defence lawyer Khawaja Haris, adding that the facility of Calibri font was available in the Window Vista Beta. The witness, on being told that thousands of people had been using the Calibri font, said that it was issued on a limited scale and only to the licensed IT experts.
The witness said that he was answering all the questions after consulting his research notes which he had prepared for the purpose.
Robert informed the court that he had been working as forensic handwriting expert since 1976. He said the Cuest Solicitors hired his services on June 30, 2017, to compare two declarations. He deposed that he examined and compared the change of dates on Nielson and Nescol declarations. NAB court judge Muhammad Bashir held the hearing of the references. In the afternoon, the statement of Pakistan’s High Commissioner in London Ibne Abbas was also recorded. The second foreign witness of the prosecution is Akhtar Riaz Raja. Two representatives of the Sharif family – Saad Hashmi and barrister Amjad Malik – were also present at the Pakistan High Commission.
The prosecution was represented by Deputy Prosecutor NAB Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi and Director Investigation Lahore Amjad Malik Olak.
Defence lawyer Khawaja Haris objected to the presence of NAB prosecutor at the Pakistan High Commission. Responding to the objection, Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi referred to the court decision of February 13, after which he was allowed to stay there.
At the outset of the hearing, the court reserved the decision on supplementary reference filed by NAB against the Sharif family. The morning session of the hearing was attended by Aeysha Hamid, an assistant of defence lawyer Khawaja Haris. While arguing on the supplementary references, she said that NAB had obtained the documents through open sources. She maintained that the filing of supplementary references corroborated the fact that the earlier references were ‘weak’ and ‘frivolous’. She said that the SC had ordered a decision in the cases within a period of six month, which was about to expire. She requested more time for the preparation for the supplementary references. In her arguments she asked the NAB court to seek extension in the timeline from the apex court. However, the NAB prosecutor in his arguments maintained that the references would conclude within the stipulated period of six months. Head of the JIT and prosecution witness Wajid Zia presented the record of the case in the court. The cross-examination of the witnesses by defence lawyer will continue today.
Published in Daily Times, February 23rd 2018.
