Avenfield properties case: Nawaz, Maryam reach accountability court for hearing

F.P. Report

ISLAMABAD: The disqualified prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam have reached the accountability court hearing corruption cases proceedings against them.

Nawaz and his daughter arrived from Lahore via a private plane after having missed yesterday’s hearing of the Avenfield properties reference owing to inclement weather.

Khawaja Haris, counsel of Nawaz will continue today his cross-examination of Wajid Zia, who headed the Panama case joint investigation team (JIT) which probed the Sharif family assets last year.

The case, based on a reference filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on the Supreme Court’s directions, pertains to the Sharif family’s London apartments.

At the last hearing on Tuesday (yesterday), the court had directed Zia to approach the Supreme Court for obtaining the JIT report’s volume X.

Zia is being cross-examined since the last few hearings after having recorded his statement earlier over several weeks.

The corruption references, filed against the Sharif family, pertain to the Al-Azizia Steel Mills and Hill Metal Establishment, offshore companies including Flagship Investment Ltd, and Avenfield properties of London.

Nawaz and sons Hussain and Hasan are accused in all three references whereas his daughter Maryam and son-in-law MNA Capt (retd) Safdar are accused in the Avenfield reference only.

The two brothers, based abroad, have been absconding since the proceedings began last year and were declared proclaimed offenders by the court.