Nawaz's counsel concludes arguments in plea against Avenfield verdict

ISLAMABAD: Khawaja Harris, counsel for former Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, Wednesday concluded his arguments before the Islamabad High Court (IHC) in a petition for suspension of the accountability court’s verdict against his client in the Avenfield property reference.

A two-member IHC bench comprising Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb resumed hearing of Nawaz's petition.

At the outset, NAB's Deputy Prosecutor General Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi requested the court to adjourn the hearing for two days so that he could submit paragraph-wise reply in line with the request of Nawaz’s counsel as he did not receive the court order in time.

Justice Minallah, however, observed that hearing could not be adjourned on those grounds.

The NAB counsel said he was not in the town, but the court rejected his plea.

Justice Minallah asked Khwaja Harris that according to to him, there was no record of Nawaz's property.

To this, Harris responded that NAB witnesses had admitted that there was no evidence against Nawaz.

Abbasi informed the court that NAB had brought forth record of known sources of income of Nawaz and his children.

Justice Minallah asked as to how known sources of income were brought on record. "This is not a case of money laundering," he said.

Abbasi replied that he would explain it to the court.

Justice Minallah, however, observed that what was the contradiction as the worth of assets was not known.

Harris then informed the bench that prosecution's main witness Wajid Zia, head of the Panama papers case Joint Investigation Team (JIT), presented a chart of assets. The chart was made by the JIT, but it was presented by Zia, he added.

Reservations raised in the JIT report on the chart, were on record, Nawaz's counsel said.

During the course of hearing, Justice Minallah observed, "The registrar's office has informed that incorrect statements attributed to judges were aired on August 13 and we have taken serious notice of this. We are also forwarding the matter to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA)."

He said if the judgments were given on one's wishes then there would be no justice.

He observed, "We value the media but those who are indulging in this are involved in contempt of court."

Justice Minallah remarked, "For a fair trial, it is essential to have trust in the legal system and if trials start taking place outside courts then that is contempt of court."

Later, the IHC adjourned case till Thursday.