ISLAMABAD: Accountability Court on Thursday rejected NAB’’s request torecord Nawaz Sharif”s statement under section 342 of NAB Ordinance inAl-Azizia Steel Mills corruption reference.
Judge Arshad Malik while hearing corruption references against former primeminister had summoned joint investigation team (JIT) head Wajid Zia onFriday in flagship investment case.
As the hearing began, the defense counsel Khawaja Haris submitted a requestin the court seeking one-day exemption from hearing for his client NawazSharif which was accepted.
During hearing, NAB prosecutor requested the court to record NawazSharif”s statement under section 342 of NAB Ordinance in Al-Azizia SteelMills reference prior to summon Wajid Zia in Flagship Investment case.
However, Khawaja Haris opposed the request and contended that it was theirstance from the day first that they wanted judgment in two referencestogether.
It was decided earlier that first the statement of JIT head would berecorded in Flagship investment reference, he argued.
The NAB prosecutor adopted the stance that the court could fix a date torecord the statement of accused in two cases.
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Islamabad High Court (IHC), he said, had ordered that the three wereseparate references and couldn’t be heard together.
Haris said there were common evidence in remaining two references, if thecourt wanted to announce the judgment together then what was objection overrecording JIT head’s statement.
After hearing arguments from both sides the court rejected the request ofNAB and summoned Zia on Friday to testify in Flagship investment.
The court also ordered NAB to complete its evidences in Al-Azizia SteelMills case till Friday. APP
