Nawaz excuses to present any defense in Al-Azizia Steel Mills reference
Shares
ISLAMABAD: After the Avenfield property case, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif also excused to present any defense in Al-Azizia Steel Mills corruption reference, claiming that the prosecution could not prove its charges against him.
The accused concluded his statement in Al-Azizia corruption reference under Section 342 of the Criminal Procedure Code, the court sought the final arguments from the both sides.
Accountability Court Judge Arshad Malik resumed hearing on graft reference against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif who appeared before the court to record his statement.
As the hearing began, Nawaz said he wouldn’t present anything in his defense as the NAB couldn’t prove its case against him, adding that corruption case was initiated against him on the basis of allegations leveled by his political rivals and report of joint investigation team (JIT) which the Nawaz termed a biased investigation.
The report had declared him as real owner of Al-Azizia Steel Mills and Hill Metal Establishment, he said.
The accused said he was neither the real owner nor a ‘benamidaar’ of Al-Azizia Steel Mill or Hill Metal Establishment, adding that the prosecution could not present any evidence against him in this regard, he added.
Nawaz said he did not transfer any money abroad to his sons for expenditures of their foreign education, living or business.
The NAB, he said, could not present any evidence proving that he had established Al-Azizia Steel Mill or Hill Metal Establishment company.
It also could not prove that he was the guardian of Hasan and Hussain Nawaz and that they were benamidaars, he said.
He was of the view that no witness except JIT head Wajid Zia and NAB investigation officer gave statements against him, adding that the both statements are not acceptable as evidence against him.
The JIT and NAB IO had accepted themselves that there were no documents to prove that he had been the owner of Al-Azizia Steel Mill and Hill Metal Establishment.
The accused said Al-Azizia Steel Mill was established by his father in 2001 and Hussain Nawaz was 29 years old at that time, adding that he was not holding any public office from 2001 to 2005.
He said the amount sent from his son Hussain Nawaz in 2010 was disclosed in his tax returns, adding that receiving of money from son was a traditional practice in Pakistan.
As a son, Hussain Nawaz had gifted this money, he further said, adding that it couldn’t be given any other meaning.
The former prime minister also gave references of his development projects introduced during his regime to show his loyalty with Pakistan.
He said his father had installed the industry in 1937, adding that he had left the business forty years back. His children were independent to do business and he had nothing to do with it, he said.
Nawaz claimed that his forty year political career was clean from corruption and there was no burden on his conscience regarding any wrong doing. He had rendered political sacrifice to prove himself as innocent, he said, adding the trial was carried against him on the basis of assumptions.
The cases were started from the allegation of money laundering, tax theft and corruption but the later the prosecution had taken the support of allegations regarding assets beyond known sources of income, which means no corruption was proved against him.
After the accused concluded his statement, the court summoned final arguments from the both sides.
APP
