ISLAMABAD - Accountability Court Islamabad on Tuesday fixed October 2 to indict Nawaz Sharif in the corruption references after the former prime minister appeared before it. The court also provided copies of the corruption references to him.
Nawaz Sharif appeared before the court located in the judicial complex in the federal capital, a day after he returned from London where he was with his ailing wife.
During the brief hearing, Nawaz Sharif informed the accountability court Judge Muhammad Bashir that his wife was unwell and he needed to attend to her. He was then allowed to leave the court.
The court then adjourned for 10 minutes before continuing with the normal case proceedings.
The appearance was just a formality to ensure that the accused was ready to face the trial. Nawaz Sharif stayed at the court for about 10 minutes. He was accompanied by his lawyer Khawaja Harris who would represent him as a counsel in the corruption cases.
Meanwhile, for non-compliance of court summon orders, the judge issued bailable arrest warrants for Hassan Nawaz, Hussain Nawaz, Maryam Nawaz and Capt (retd) Safdar with the direction to prosecution to produce them before the court on the next date of hearing.
The accused were further asked to furnish a bail bond of Rs1 million each to secure their bail in these corruption references.
Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif appeared before the court along with party leaders who were chanting slogans ‘Wazir-i-Azam Nawaz Sharif’ and ‘Qadam Bharao Nawaz Sharif Hum Tumharay Saath Hain’ as the courtroom was giving the look of a fish market.
Even some of the party leaders were seen making movie with their mobile phones to which the court staff and the journalists covering the proceedings had objected to which led to thrashing of a couple of television reporters by the security staff of Nawaz Sharif.
Realising the messing up of things and breach of court sanctity by the supporters and leaders of ruling PML-N, the judge marked the former premier present and asked him to leave and had taken break of 10 minutes.
Nawaz submitted before the court that his spouse had undergone surgery in London and moved an application seeking exemption from personal appearance in the court.
The PML-N leaders who barged into the courtroom with him left the place as soon as Nawaz drove back to the Punjab House in a big cavalcade with protocol and the court resumed the hearing directing the defence counsel Kh Haris advocate who had submitted three advocacy certificates in court, to furnish one million bail bond on behalf of Nawaz Sharif.
The court was informed that Hassan Nawaz, Hussain Nawaz, Maryam Nawaz and Capt Safdar were in London in connection with the treatment of Begum Kalsoom Nawaz and therefore they could not appear before the court.
The court issued bailable arrest warrants for all the four persons with the direction to prosecution to present them before the court on next date of hearing and also adjourned the hearing in their cases till October 2 when the court would formally indict Nawaz in the corruption references.
The counsel for Nawaz also moved an application seeking exemption from his personal appearance before the court and submitted that as the spouse of his client had undergone three surgeries in London and needed his presence with him so he should be given exemption from personal appearance during the trial.
The court refused by saying that he should first appear on the day of indictment and the issue of skipping personal appearance will be decided later on.
The court after hearing the arguments on the application reserved the judgment on the matter till October 2 when the court would formally charge-sheet the accused in the corruption references.
Prosecutors in these references came late in the courtroom and informed the judge that they were barred by the security officials from entering the court. The judge directed them to submit written application and messing up of security-related issues would be taken up on next date of hearing.
NAB Prosecutor Sardar Muzaffar Abbas presented the detailed report of the serving of summon orders to Nawaz and other family members at their given addresses. They informed the court that the security staff at Sharifs’ Jati Umra residence in Lahore refused to accept the summons for Hussain and Hasan Nawaz, stating that they reside outside the country.
Nawaz Sharif’s legal aide Barrister Zafarullah Khan told the media that the court should have given more time for indictment. “The court cannot indict until all accused appear in the court. It should give us more time to prepare out case,” he said.
He said that Nawaz Sharif would appear in the court if all went well during the period before next hearing and health of his wife remains stable.
The corruption references against Nawaz and other family members included a reference about the London flats – numbered 16 and 16-A and 17 and 17-A at Avenfield House, Park Lane. The second is regarding Azizia Steel Mills and Hill Metal Company, Jeddah, while the third reference is about Flagship Investment Limited and 15 other companies.
Earlier on his arrival at NAB courts, Nawaz was welcomed by a large number of party leaders and activists who managed to gather there despite strict security measures.
The former prime minister came there under heavily guarded security measures in a big cavalcade and in the same fashion he returned back to the Punjab House.
Nawaz left the Punjab House in Islamabad at about 8:30 am to appear before the court. It took him about 15 minutes to reach the court. More than 35 vehicles were part of Nawaz’s convoy which safely reached Punjab House after his appearance in the court.