Islamabad March 2 (TNS): Three witnesses recorded their statements in the Al-Azizia and Flagship Investment supplementary references against the Sharifs.
As the trial court judge Muhammad Bashir resumed hearing in the supplementary references, witnesses Abdul Hanan, Rizwan Khan and Sunil Ijaz recorded their statements while former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and Capt (retd) Muhammad Safdar appeared in the court.
JIT former chief Wajid Zia also showed up to record his statement whereas the Avenfield properties supplementary reference, however, he could not record statement after defence counsel, Khawaja Haris, requested the judge to record his statement in all the three references once for all. The defence counsel contended that since the references against his clients were of the same nature, Wajid Zia, who had headed the JIT that probed the Panama Papers, should record his statement one time, as according to him, three different statements will create lacunas for the defendants. The judge has reserved the verdict on Haris’s plea and it is likely to be announced after 2 pm. Meanwhile, Wajid Zia left the courtroom without recording his statement.
The NAB has filed three corruption references against the Sharif family after the apex court handed down a verdict on July 28, 2017, in the Panama Papers case, resulting in the disqualification of former PM Sharif and his ouster from the office.
Ijaz, a bank employee, recorded his statement before he was cross-examined by the defence counsel. Witness Hannan also recorded his statement and he was cross-examined by Haris.
Corruption references against the Sharifs pertain to Al-Azizia Steel Mills, Hill Metal Establishment, Flagship Investment Ltd and Avenfield properties etc.
