Avenfield reference: AC summons Wajid Zia along with record on Feb 22

ISLAMABAD (92 News) – An accountability court (AC) on Monday summoned Wajid Zia, head of Joint Investigation Team (JIT) along with record in London-based Avenfield reference against Sharif family. The AC judge Muhammad Bashir ordered Wajid Zia to appear before the court in Avenfield Properties case on Friday (February 22) along with the original JIT report. The court also directed former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law Captain (r) Safdar to ensure their presence on the next hearing. The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) appealed the court that to record statements of two foreign nationals, the original record of the JIT was necessary to which the court ordered the JIT head to appear on February 22. On January 22, the anti-graft watchdog had filed a supplementary reference in the accountability court against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and four others over London flats. The NAB had included seven new witnesses in the reference, while two witnesses belonged to Britain. The Bureau told the court that it has recorded initial statements from the witnesses based in Britain. Forensic expert Robert Radley and a close relative of Panama case Joint Investigative Team head, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Additional Director Wajid Zia, will be the witnesses in the case, while two prosecution witnesses belonged to Ministry of Information. The transcript of interviews of Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz, Hassan Nawaz and Hussain Nawaz are also a part of the evidence. Previously, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had filed three cases of corruption and money laundering against Sharif, his family members and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar in the Islamabad Accountability Court following the verdict. The anti-graft body NAB had frozen the bank accounts and seized properties of Sharif and his family members to put pressure on them to appear before the court. The Sharifs have denied any wrongdoing and have labeled the corruption proceedings against them as politically motivated. Two of Nawaz’s sons are also due to appear before the NAB court, along with Finance Minister Ishaq Dar. Nawaz was disqualified by the Supreme Court in July for not declaring a source of income that he disputes receiving. Pakistan’s top court also ordered a wide-ranging NAB investigation and trial into Sharif family members. The Supreme Court specified that the trial be concluded within six months by NAB, which has in the past been derided as toothless because rich and powerful politicians were seldom convicted.