Court reserves verdict on Nawaz, Maryam’s pleas for exemption

ISLAMABAD (92 News) – An accountability court on Thursday reserved verdict on the former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz’s plea seeking exemption from appearance for a week. The accountability court (AC) judge Muhammad Bashir was conducting hearing of the Avenfield reference filed against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his family by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in line with the Supreme Court directive in the Panamagate case. Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law Captain (r) Safdar appeared before the court amid tight security. In today’s proceedings, the ex-PM his daughter appealed the court to grant them exemption from appearance for seven days. They also submitted a medical report of Nawaz's wife, Begum Kulsoom Nawaz in the court. Kulsoom has been in London undergoing treatment for lymphoma since late last year. The NAB prosecutor opposed the pleas and argued that the suspects should not be allowed to leave the country as the trial was in its final stage. On the other hand, Wajid Zia, former head of joint investigation team (JIT) formed by the Supreme Court over Panamagate case, resumed recording his statement. 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.