Flagship reference: NAB prosecutor concludes final arguments

ISLAMABAD (92 News) – The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) prosecutor concluded final arguments in the Flagship Investment corruption reference against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday. Accountability Court II Judge Arshad Malik heard the case against Nawaz Sharif. The former premier appeared before court. NAB prosecutor Sardar Muzaffar adopted same arguments like the Al-Azizia reference related to JIT report. “It is accepted fact that Nawaz Sharif benefitted from Flagship amounted worth AED7,80,000,” Muzaffar said. “Our case is about that ‘benami’ properties were made by Nawaz Sharif’s sons,” he added. Later, NAB Prosecutor Malik Asghar started the final arguments. In his final arguments, the prosecutor informed the court that the accused have the documents in this case and only they can provide. He also argued that the accused cannot verify their properties through their stances and documents and they failed to prove the sources of income for making properties, so the apex court provided them another chance to make the JIT. “Again the accused cannot tell the sources,” he added. Following to this, the judge remarked that It means the discussion reached to Mayfair to fare, on that remarks, all the court room echoed with laugh. During the hearing, Judge Arshad Malik pronounced a joke, “Once a time a robbery was happened in a village and the police caught a addicted thief and beat him. When the thief asked that why are you beating me, the police replied, this only you know and you have to tell.” Meanwhile, Nawaz’s counsel Khawaja Haris will present additional documents in the flagship reference before the court. On Monday, Nawaz’s lawyer Khawaja Haris concluded his arguments in the third and last reference against the PML-N leader. The apex court ordered the parties to give additional arguments on the SC decision in the references until 1pm on Wednesday. On December 7, the Supreme Court had directed the accountability court hearing the remaining two corruption references against the Sharif family to conclude the cases by December 24. Earlier, seven extensions to wrap up the corruption references initiated by NAB were granted by the apex court. The Supreme Court had initially set a six-month deadline to conclude the four corruption references against the Sharif family.