Azizia Steel: hearing into corruption cases adjourned till December 4

The Accountability Court hearing corruption cases against Sharif family on Tuesday adjourned the hearing of Azizia Steel and Hill Metals Establishment references till December 4. As soon as Accountability Court began the proceedings, Nawaz Sharif's counsel Advocate Amjad Pervez informed the court that the leading counsel for the Sharif family, Khawaja Haris, could not come to the court as he is busy in the Supreme Court.
He also urged the court to adjourn hearing on the ground that Islamabad High Court (IHC) is expected this week to announce verdict on Nawaz Sharif's request to club the three references against him. The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on November 23 reserved decision on deposed Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's plea to combine the three references against him.
Deputy Prosecutor General NAB, Muzaffar Abbasi while opposing Sharif's pleas said that neither did the IHC issue any restraining order nor did it stop the accountability court from hearing the cases. The court after hearing the arguments rejected the NAB's request and adjourned the hearing till December 4.
Three prosecution witnesses - Tayyab Moazzam, Umar Daraz and Mukhtar Ahmed - could not record their statements. Earlier, deposed Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz reached the court amid tight security arrangement. Sharif's son-in-law Captain Muhammad Safdar (retd) also appeared before the court. In the courtroom, Sharif refused to talk to media persons. He said, "The judge has prohibited me from speaking unnecessarily. There is a time for everything."
However, he assured media that he will speak his mind on the subject in a couple of days when he was asked about Islamabad High Court (IHC) judgment regarding the Islamabad sit-in. When a journalist asked Maryam Nawaz about the IHC judgment regarding the Islamabad sit-in, she said how she could talk to media in the presence of her father. "If I talk to media in presence of Mian Sahib, he will admonish me," she added in a lighter mood.
Nawaz Sharif also avoided talking to media after court hearing. Nawaz and his family are facing three corruption references filed by the NAB in light of the Supreme Court's July 28 judgment in the Panama Papers case. Nawaz and his two sons, Hussain and Hasan, are nominated in all three references - Al Azizia, Avenfield and Flagship - whereas Maryam and Safdar are only accused in a reference related to Avenfield properties.