NAB references: Nawaz Sharif granted one week exemption

NAB references: Nawaz Sharif granted one week exemption

ISLAMABAD: The accountability court (AC) has on Monday granted one week exemption to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif from personal appearance in the court in mega corruption references filed against him and his family members by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in line with the Supreme Court directive in the Panamagate case.

The accountability court (AC) judge Muhammad Bashir heard the three corruption references against the Sharif family.

During the proceedings, Khawaja Harris, the counsel of Nawaz Sharif submitted application seeking personal court appearance of his client. The court while accepting his plea granted him exemption from the personal appearance.

The prosecution witness Malik Tayyab appeared before the court and presented record of Nawaz Sharif’s transaction through cheaques.

The court also rejected Maryam Nawaz’s plea seeking to change the date of the exemption from court appearance, however, she will have exemption from November 15 to December 15.

The court later adjourned the hearing until tomorrow.

Earlier, the accountability court (AC) had adjourned the hearing of mega corruption references filed against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his family members by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in line with the Supreme Court directive in the Panamagate case until 1pm.

The former prime minister along with his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law Captain (r) Safdar appeared before the accountability court (AC) amid tight security.

Previously, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had filed three cases of corruption and money laundering against Sharif, his family members and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar in the Islamabad Accountability Court following the verdict.

The anti-graft body NAB had frozen the bank accounts and seized properties of Sharif and his family members to put pressure on them to appear before the court.

The Sharifs have denied any wrongdoing and have labelled the corruption proceedings against them as politically motivated. Two of Nawaz’s sons are also due to appear before the NAB court, along with Finance Minister Ishaq Dar.

Nawaz was disqualified by the Supreme Court in July for not declaring a source of income that he disputes receiving. Pakistan’s top court also ordered a wide-ranging NAB investigation and trial into Sharif family members.

The Supreme Court specified that the trial be concluded within six months by NAB, which has in the past been derided as toothless because rich and powerful politicians were seldom convicted.