ISLAMABAD - The accountability court Tuesday allowed a four-day personal exemption to former premier Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz after they failed to appear in the court in the NAB references owing to the critical condition of Kulsoom Nawaz in a London hospital.
Defence counsel Khawaja Harris filed an application on behalf of Sharif and Maryam Nawaz, seeking a one-week exemption from appearance in the court, quoting the critical condition of Kulsoom Nawaz who has been on a ventilator.
Harris also filed a new petition for withdrawal his earlier application through which he had recused himself from representing Sharif in the corruption references. While filing his application for restoration of his power of attorney in the corruption references, Harris put his reservations before the accountability court. He contended the Supreme Court did not have the authority to instruct the accountability court to fix a time frame in adjudicating the corruption references.
“The law has categorically defined the time frame for court proceedings and also for weekly offs. A lawyer has to read thousands of pages for cross-questioning and arguments. If the court proceedings continue beyond the fixed time, a counsel is left with a minimum time to prepare for the next day’s arguments,” he contended.
Sharif’s counsel resumed appearing in the accountability court Tuesday in the Avenfield properties reference. He started conclusive arguments in the corruption references against his client after he refused to pursue the corruption references filed by the NAB against the Sharif family.
He stated the Supreme Court has instructed the accountability court to wrap up the case by recording statements of witnesses. He said corruption allegations have been charged against the accused without any substantive evidence of corruption. “No evidences of corruption have been furnished by the NAB prosecutor against the Sharif family,” Haris said, adding the prosecutor is confused and is also confusing the court about what the real case of corruption was against the accused.
Hearing in the Al-Azizia Steel Mills reference could not be held Tuesday while the court adjourned hearing in the Avenfield and Al-Azizia references until Wednesday (today). Haris will continue his conclusive arguments Wednesday (today).
