ISLAMABAD (INP): The Accountability Court hearing NAB reference decided on Monday to indict Mian Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz and Capt Safdar on Friday, 13th October.
Maryam Nawaz, daughter of ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif, and her husband retired Captain Muhammad Safdar were granted bail in NAB reference. They appeared before an accountability court of Judge Mohammad Bashir in Islamabad on Monday.
Maryam arrived at the court amid tight security Monday morning, accompanied by senior PML-N leaders and ministers. Her husband, who was taken into custody by NAB upon his arrival to Pakistan, was brought to the court later.
The son-in-law of Nawaz Sharif and his wife had arrived from London on Monday morning to appear before the accountability court in connection with the NAB reference pertaining to London properties owned by the Sharif family.
During the hearing, PML-N leader Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry submitted surety bonds worth Rs5 million on behalf of Maryam. She was also provided a copy of the NAB reference along with relevant details.
After hearing arguments from the prosecution, the court accepted bail of both Maryam and her husband. The judge ordered NAB authorities to release Capt Safdar.
The court also heard arguments on an application filed by Nawaz Sharif seeking exemption from appearance in the court today (Monday) and adjournment of case for fifteen days. The court granted exemption for Monday but adjourned the hearing for 13th October when he will be indicted.
The NAB prosecution had asked the court to issue arrest warrants for Nawaz Sharif, who they said had left for London, despite being a primary accused, without informing NAB authorities. Accountability Judge Mohammad Bashir reserved his decision on this matter as well.
Speaking to the media after appearing before the accountability court, where her husband MNA Capt (retd) Safdar was also present, Maryam Nawaz said those who appear in court are being arrested from the airport while absconders are running free and holding rallies. She said despite strong reservations we are appearing before the courts. He said those who had come to appear before the accountability court were arrested at the airport.
“But we are not ones to be afraid of being arrested,” she added. She said that a case starting from Panama dnd ends on Iqama ,then questions would be raised and judges would have to respond.
“Judges will have to answer as questions are raised when a case over Panama Papers ended up on the Iqama [foreign work permit which led to Nawaz’s disqualification],” she remarked. Maryam demanded that there should be accountability of those who removed the representative 200 million people of Pakistan.
Maryam said her family is being tried despite already receiving the punishment, that is the disqualification of her father Nawaz Sharif. “These trials will end one day”. She said she knows fully well why she is being punished.
Maryam said the questions taken up by the Supreme Court-mandated Joint Investigation Team regarding her family businesses continue to remain questions “because they are false allegations with no answers”.
Asked when her brothers, Hassan and Hussain Nawaz, will appear before the court, Maryam said they would take their decisions themselves. “My brothers live abroad., the laws of Pakistan don’t apply on them.”
Safdar taken into custody
The court also approved Safdar’s bail and ordered him to submit a surety bond worth Rs50 million. He was also directed to take the court’s permission before leaving the country.
After providing a copy of the reference — spread over 53 volumes — to Maryam and Safdar, Judge Mohammad Bashir also directed her to submit a surety bond of Rs5 million.
Earlier, Maryam reached the accountability court to appear before the Avenfield corruption reference against her and other Sharif family members. Officials of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) brought Safdar to the court a couple of hours after the hearing began.
Answering the media’ queries on his way to the court, Safdar said his military training helped him sleep easily at night. In response to another question, he said, “I have not hijacked a plane that I should be scared of legal proceedings”.
NAB officials also submitted in court a plea to declare Hasan and Hussain Nawaz proclaimed offenders as they failed to show up in court even today, despite issuance of non-bailable arrest warrants. Around 1,500 police and Frontier Constabulary personnel were deployed for securing the judicial complex where the hearing was held.
State Interior Minister Talal Chaudhry, Health Minister Saira Afzal Tarar, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, CADD Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, IT Minister Anusha Rehman, Privatisation Minister Daniyal Aziz, Senator Asif Kirmani, Mayor Islamabad and other senior PML-N officials were present in and outside the court.A large number of women workers of PML-N were also present raising slogans in support of Maryam Nawaz Sharif.
