Joint trial of Sharif family: Nawaz, Maryam, Safdar appear before court

ISLAMABAD: An accountability court on Tuesday adjourned the hearing in three corruption references against former prime minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law Captain (retd) Muhammad Safdar after the defense counsel sought an adjournment in anticipation of an Islamabad High Court (IHC) order regarding the joint charges and joint trial.

Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz and Captain (retd) Muhammad Safdar reached the Judicial Complex along with their legal teams amid foolproof security. A division bench of the IHC had on Nov 23 reserved judgment in a case where Nawaz Sharif had been seeking joint framing of charges and joint trial in the three corruption references pending against him in the accountability court.

In the Tuesday's hearing, Nawaz Sharif's counsel Khawaja Haris could not appear before the court. A junior counsel told the court that Khawaja Haris was busy in the Supreme Court. Opposing adjournment, the NAB prosecutor Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi said in his application Khawaja Haris had not mentioned his engagement in the Supreme Court. Judge Muhammad Bashir asked what the court should do about the two witnesses who had come to record their statements.

The junior counsel said if the court felt that they were causing delay, then they will appear before the court for three consecutive days from Monday. Legal counsel for Amjad Pervez said he also did not want an extraordinary delay in adjudication of the matter. The NAB prosecutor said at least the statements of two prosecution witnesses should be recorded by the court. He further said the IHC had not passed any restraining order regarding hearing in the accountability court.

The defence counsel on the other hand said in case the IHC rejected the plea seeking clubbing of references, the accountability court may conduct proceedings for two or three consecutive days. The court then adjourned the hearing till December 4

Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz did not talk to the media. Captain Safdar, however, while talking to the media outside the court premises said that he does not know who that Safdar is, about whom an audio is getting viral on the social media that he gave Rs50 million to the dharna protesters at the Faizabad Interchange. He said he would ask from the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority chairman about the origin of this audio. He said that he is thankful to an honorable judge of the IHC who took notice of the Dharna. To a question that Rs1,000 each were distributed among the protesters, Captain Safdar in a lighter vein said that Rs5,000 were issued for each protester. Those who distributed the money kept Rs4,000 with them and gave away Rs1,000 to each protester.