Court grants three days further exemption to Nawaz, Maryam

ISLAMABAD: The Accountability Court (AC) of Islamabad Monday exempted former Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz for three more days from attending the proceedings of references as they had to extend their stay in London due to illness of Begum Kulsoom Nawaz.

AC Judge Muhammad Bashir conducted hearing of the Avenfield property reference filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) against the accused.

At the outset of the proceedings, defence counsel Khawaja Haris filed a request before the court seeking further extension in exemption from hearing for his clients due to the critical health condition of Begum Kulsoom Nawaz. He also submitted a fresh medical report of Kulsoom Nawaz with the court, according to which her several body organs, including kidneys, were not functioning. Her health condition had improved during last three days and her therapy was, however, still continuing in hospital, the report said.

Haris requested the court to grant seven-day further exemption to his clients from attending the hearing as they were in London to inquire after the health of Kulsoom Nawaz. However, the court granted three-day exemption from hearing to the accused.

Capt (Retd) Muhammad Safdar attended the court proceedings.

Meanwhile continuing his concluding arguments, Haris said the prosecution had failed to establish Nawaz's direct link to the Avenfied property.

He said Joint Investigation Team (JIT) head Wajid Zia had only read the summary of documents and then commented on it during recording his statement. Zia had said that the JIT had examined the evidence, but it was not the JIT's mandate as it was the court's job to examine the evidence, he added.

Haris said the JIT report could not be accepted as evidence in the Avenfield case. An investigation officer's opinion could not be considered as acceptable evidence, he argued.

The defense counsel said a summary of documents not presented by his client could not be used against him.

He said the letters of Qatari prince in response to the JIT's queries had nothing to do with his client. The JIT had pointed out contradictions in the two letters, though it was the mandate of court to discuss the same, he added.

The JIT head, he maintained, could present the letters, but he could not comment on them.

Later, the court adjourned the hearing till June 26, when Khawaja Haris would continue his arguments.