ISLAMABAD: The accountability court hearing three corruption cases against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his family adjourned the hearing of the Al-Azizia Steel Mills case until Tuesday, due to the absence of lawyers and witnesses.
Sharif’s counsel Haris and the prosecution’s witness Malik Tayyab were unable to attend the hearing due to roadblocks in the capital city due to protests. Judge Muhammad Bashir adjourned the hearing before the proceedings started. Nawaz’s son-in-law Captain (r) Safdar arrived at the judicial complex for the hearing on Monday. He told the media that he had unable to contact anyone, including Nawaz, with regards to the hearing.
Captain (r) Safdar said that if media had portrayed patience, the sit-in would have ended peacefully. “Witnesses from Lahore also couldn’t reach Islamabad today,” Safdar added. Meanwhile, at the last hearing, four prosecution witnesses recorded their statements and were cross-examined. Nawaz and his family had been facing three corruption references filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in light of the Supreme Court’s July 28 judgment in the Panama Papers case.
Nawaz and his two sons, Hussain and Hasan, are nominated in all three references whereas Maryam and Safdar are only accused in one.
Published in Daily Times, November 28th 2017.
