Nawaz's counsel vows to conclude arguments

The counsel for former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Khawaja Haris, on Tuesday said that the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) that probed the Panama Papers case did not ask law firm Mossack Fonseca about his client's real or beneficial ownership of the London properties.
Haris while presenting his final arguments in the Avenfield reference before Accountability Court Judge Muhammad Bashir said that key prosecution witness Wajid Zia while testifying before the court stated that the JIT did not ask Mossack Fonseca whether Sharif is the real or beneficial owner of London flats. "The JIT did not ask this question from Mossack Fonseca," he said.
He further said that the letter of Financial Investigation Agency (FIA) British Virgin Islands (BVI) is not a primary or secondary evidence but it is a tertiary evidence. "The FIA BVI and Mossack Fonseca also did not state that Sharif had remained beneficial or real owner of the London properties," he said.
Sharif's counsel also produced the Financial Investigation Act 2017 as well as a number of judgments just to appraise the court of the definition of evidence.
The counsel said that prosecution did not produce the persons who prepared the cash flow chart and auditor general's report; therefore, these documents are inadmissible as witness in the court.
He said that forensic expert Robert Radley during the cross-examination stated that Calibri font was not commercially available before 2007 but he admitted that it could be downloaded for use. "Radley stated that he is not an IT expert but he was using Calibri font."
At the start of the hearing, Deputy Prosecutor General National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi said that the court had asked him to complete his final argument as soon as possible but the curt did not stop defense which has been arguing the case for so many days. "Court has given him ultimatum to finish arguments but did not stop defense", he said, adding that due to this no progress has been made in other cases. Abbasi said that apex court had directed both the parties to cooperate with the court. He said that defense is trying to delay the case.
On this, Haris said that despite ailing health, he is standing here. He said that he will try to conclude the arguments as soon as possible.
Later, the court adjourned the hearing till Wednesday (today). Khawaja Haris will resume his arguments today (Wednesday).