ISLAMABAD - Rejecting an application seeking a seven-day personal exemption from court appearance, an accountability court Monday allowed two-day immunity to ex-PM Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz in the Avenfield reference case.
The two-day exemption was granted after the defence counsel submitted an application with fresh medical reports of ailing Kalsoom Nawaz, seeking a seven-day personal exemption for Maryam and Nawaz.
It was stated in the application that Kalsoom Nawaz was still on a life-supporting ventilator in a London hospital but her health was getting better.
Prosecutor Sardar Muzaffar opposed plea and pointed out that since according to the fresh reports of doctors, the health of Kalsoom was improving, therefore, the presence of Nawaz and Maryam should be ensured in the court within next two days.
The court after listening arguments from both sides allowed a two-day exemption from the court appearance.
During the hearing of the Avenfield reference, Amjad Pervez, the counsel for Maryam and Safdar, said the documents of Maryam cannot be considered fake on the basis of Robert Radley’s testimony about Calibri font.
Pervez contended the prosecution presented the testimony of Radley being a font expert and termed the documents of Maryam fake and forged.
Radley stated that the font was not in commercial use before 2007. Pervez also pointed out that Radley in his statement had admitted that he had been using Calibri font since 2005 by downloading it from the internet.
He argued that the trust deed of Maryam existed from 2006, therefore, the opinion of Radley was not based on truth. He stated that in his first report, Radley did not mention the font use, while in the second report, which filed after three days, Radley insisted on the font usage. The analysis of Panama Papers JIT was also based on Radley’s later report, Pervez said adding that reports alike Radley’s were considered as weak testimonies and fragile evidence in Pakistani courts.
Pervez raised questions on the authenticity of Radley’s report as being a font expert. He said the curriculum vitae (CV) of Radley was witness to the fact that he has not mentioned in his CV that he was a font expert.
He argued that Radley stated in his statement that he has been working in this field since 1976, but he had not mentioned his qualification in his CV.
“It was the responsibility of the prosecution to furnish the CV of Radley on the very moment when his statement was recorded as being a font expert. Analysing font specimens is an additional expertise and Radley has not mentioned about this expertise in his resume, said Pervez.
“The CV of Radley is available on page 136 of volume 4 of the JIT report, which could be witnessed that Radley has not mentioned his expertise being a font expert,” Pervez argued
He insisted that his testimony for analysing Maryam Nawaz’s documents could not be accepted.
Nawaz and Maryam had travelled to London on June 14, 2018, for the purpose of tending to ailing Kulsoom Nawaz, who is suffering from cancer and is undergoing treatment there.
The court was told that that upon arrival in London, Sharif was “informed that his wife had suffered a cardiac arrest; that she had been put on a life-supporting ventilator; that she had been shifted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU); and that she was in a very critical condition”.
Proceedings on the Al-Azizia Steel Mills reference will be held in the accountability court today (Tuesday) and Nawaz counsel Khawaja Harris will cross-question key prosecution witness and JIT head Wajid Zia.
References were filed against the ruling Sharif family after the Supreme Court disqualified Nawaz from PM office over long-running corruption allegations last year.
The decision brings to an unceremonious end Nawaz's third term in power, roughly one year before scheduled general elections which would have seen him become the first Pakistani prime minister to complete a full five-year term.
The Supreme Court had in April last declared there was 'insufficient evidence' to oust Nawaz over the graft allegations engulfing his family, and ordered an investigation team to probe the matter.
The team of civilian and military investigators found there was a 'significant disparity' between the Sharif family's income and lifestyle in its report, which was released to the public and submitted to the court.
NOKHAIZ SAHI