Accountability court rejects Nawaz, Maryam's exemption request

An accountability court rejected on Thursday the exemption request by deposed Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and daughter Maryam Nawaz from appearing for the corruption trial hearing against them filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

As Judge Mohammad Bashir commenced the hearing, Nawaz and Maryam filed an application seeking a five-day exemption from June 11 to June 16 in order to visit ailing wife of Sharif, Kulsoom Nawaz, local media reported. The petition also had a medical report of Kulsoom attached.

Meanwhile,  NAB prosecutor Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi concluded his arguments in the Avenfield reference. In his statement, Abbasi said that Sharif was the the actual owner of the London flats. He claimed that the ownership was kept a secret as there was no evidence to show that bearers' shares were transferred from Prince Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Jaber Al-Thani to Sharif's son Hussain Nawaz.

The Sharif family are accused by NAB in three corruption references. These references include Al-Azizia Steel Mills, offshore companies including Flagship Investment Ltd, and Avenfield properties of London.