‘They’re after my party presidency’

ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif once again on Thursday came down hard on the superior judiciary saying the words the apex court judges were using was a contempt for their most honorable position and stature.

He was talking to the media outside the accountability court after attending the proceedings. “I don't even want to repeat those words, as these are the same words that our political opponent Imran Khan is using against us.

If the words used by Imran Khan are similar to those used by the chief justice of Pakistan, then what difference is left between the two,” Nawaz Sharif said. Words like thug, dacoit, don and Sicilian mafia being used by the judiciary amounts to contempt of their own stature and then they complain that we are committing a contempt. They taunt and demonize us. Isn't there any law to restrain this? This could not be a one-sided affair.

We have exercised much patience and restraint but they openly use contemptuous words against us. Every person has conscience, self-respect and self-esteem. We’re not the ones tocompromise on these issues … but I think a person should take a stand against such things,” he said.

He said a person who took oath under the PCO introduced by a dictator committed treason to his oath of the Constitution. “There were judges at the time of General Pervez Musharraf who took oath under the PCO. In fact, they abrogated the Constitution. They have no moral authority to teach us lessons of morality and ethics, and I think nobody should take these lessons,” he added.

Senator Raheela Magsi and several other PML-N leaders including Khawaja Saad Rafique, Marriyum Aurangzeb, Abdul Qadir Baloch, Pervaiz Rasheed, Mohsin Shahnawaz Ranjha, Abid Sher Ali, Managing Director Pakistan Baitul Mal Abid Waheed Sheikh and others were present in the court room.

Talking to reporters in the court room, Nawaz said he had not committed any mistake and will not accept a decision against him. “I am not guilty; my hands are clean. Now they are saying that they will remove me from the party office despite the fact that I have committed no corruption.”

Talking to the media outside the accountability court, Maryam Aurangzeb said those put on the Exit Control List (ECL) were fugitives. She said those who appear in courts twice a day and three times a week should not be put on the ECL. The NAB could find nothing in the main references and now it is filing supplementary references one after the other.

Meanwhile, Accountability Court (AC) Judge Muhammad Bashir Thursday dismissed the applications of former prime minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law Captain (R) Muhammad Safdar seeking exemption from personal appearance in court hearing corruption cases against them.

The three applicants sought exemption for a fortnight starting from Feb 19. The applicants took the plea that they had to visit ailing Kalsoom Nawaz in London. Legal counsel Khawaja Haris sought exemption for Nawaz Sharif from personal appearance, as his wife was under treatment in London and he had to visit her.

NAB Deputy Prosecutor General (DPG) Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi argued that permission could not be granted, as the bureau had requested the Ministry of Interior to put the accused on the ECL.

At this, Haris said the court may mention in its order that if the accused had not been put on the ECL then they may be allowed to travel abroad. Haris said the court had to record statements of two prosecution witnesses in Avenfield supplementary reference from the Pakistan High Commission in London through a video link on Feb 22.

Referring to an Islamabad High Court (IHC) order that allowed Sharif family to appoint their representation/counsel while recording the evidence of two British nationals, Robert W Radley and Akhtar Raja, Haris said if Nawaz Sharif was allowed to leave for London, it would facilitate him to appoint a representative from there.

He said the past conduct of the accused bore witness to the fact he’d always fulfilled his commitment. The court has requisitioned the JIT Volume IX from the Supreme Court registrar for recording the statements of Radley and Akhtar Raja.

The NAB deputy prosecutor general argued that the corruption references were at the concluding stage due to which the accused could not be exempted from personal appearance. He told the judge that the presence of the accused before the court was necessary under Section 540-A of Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).

He said the NAB had already recommended to the Ministry of Interior to put the names of the accused on the ECL apprehending that they might not return thus frustrating the entire trial. Hearing arguments from both sides, Judge Muhammad Bashir reserved his orders for a while and later dismissed applications for exemption.

Meanwhile, four prosecution witnesses recorded their statements with the court in Avenfield properties supplementary reference. The witnesses included Mubashir Tauqeer Shah and Muhammad Sultan Nazir from the Ministry of Information, Waqas Ahmed of Geo News and Zawar Manzoor, an assistant director at the NAB.

Mubashir Tauqeer Shah told the court that he had handed the NAB investigators the recording and transcript of Hassan Nawaz’s BBC interview. He said the NAB investigation officer had not recorded his statement.

Muhammad Sultan Nazir said he had handed the NAB recordings and transcript of Nawaz Sharif’s interviews and his address to Parliament. He said the NAB investigators had also recorded his statement.

Waqas Ahmed said he had handed the NAB the transcript of Geo News program ‘Capital Talk’ and ‘Lekin’ on January 10, 2018 in which Maryam Nawaz had talked about the Avenfield properties.

Waqas said the NAB had also recorded his statement. Maryam Nawaz counsel Amjad Pervez pointed out that there was no mention of verified or certified in the transcript submitted by Waqas Ahmed to NAB.

He also pointed out that a word was erased with fluid that was 'certified'. Advocate Pervez said no date and time was mentioned either on the transcript or on the CDs submitted by him.

Zawar Manzoor told the court that Waqas Ahmed submitted the record in his presence and he had signed the seizure memo. During the hearing, Nawaz’s counsel was provided with copies of Flagship and Azizia supplementary corruption references filed by the NAB on Feb 14. Further hearing will be on February 22.