Islamabad (Staff Report): The accountability court-II on Thursday heard the two pending references against former PM Nawaz Sharif and his family and summoned him on Monday.
The accountability court-II took up the cases for hearing after the Islamabad High Court ordered to transfer the cases.
Accountability court Judge Arshad Malik heard the Al-Azizia Steel Mills and Flagship Investment and offshore companies cases on Thursay.
As the hearing started the the judge asked the deputy prosecutor of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Deputy Prosecutor General Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi about the progress in the proceeding of the case.
Abbasi told the court that there was only one more witness whose statements need to be recorded after Wajid Zia.
The court also directed the prosecution to present Panamagate Joint Investigation Team (JIT) head and prosecution's main witness Wajid Zia for the hearing on August 13.
Later, the accountability court adjourned the case and summoned Nawaz Sharif on Monday.
OnTuesday, The Islamabad High Court (IHC) approved a plea seeking transfer of pending corruption references against former premier and his sons Hassan Nawaz and Hussain Nawaz to any other court.
A division bench of the IHC, comprising Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Miangul Hassan, issued the short order.
Deposed premier’s counsel Khawaja Haris had filed an appeal requesting the court to transfer the Al-Azizia and Flagship Investment references from the court of Accountability Judge-I Mohammad Bashir to another accountability court.
Nawaz’s counsel had argued that the references filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) against Sharif family members had a common witness a i.e. JIT head Wajid Zia, while the presiding judge of the accountability court, Judge Muhammad Bashir, had already disclosed his opinion on crucial aspects in all three references.
The counsel for the former ruling family winded up his arguments as to why Judge Muhammad Bashir should not proceed on the references filed against former premier Nawaz Sharif and his family members in the line of directives issued by the Supreme Court.
On July 6, accountability court Judge Mohammad Bashir had announced the verdict in the Avenfield properties corruption reference filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), handing the ousted prime minister 10 years as jail time for owning assets beyond known income and seven years to his daughter Maryam Nawaz for abetment.