Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif is likely to be indicted today in absentia by the accountability court in Islamabad on the request of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) prosecutors, since he is not appearing in the court for being in London to see her ailing wife.

However, Nawaz Sharif’s daughter Maryam and son-in-law Capt (r) Safdar will appear before the accountability court hearing a corruption reference against them today (Monday), PML-N sources confirmed to Daily Times.

Earlier, on October 2, when Nawaz Sharif was present in the court for the second time, judge Muhammad Bashir had set October 9 for his indictment besides issuing non-bailable arrest warrants of his sons – Hassan and Hussian and son-in-law Capt (r) Safdar, directing the authorities concerned to arrest and produce them on October 9.

The court, however, had re-issued bailable arrest warrants of Maryam Nawaz. If Maryam and Safdar appear today, they would be provided a copy of the graft reference and a date will be fixed for their indictment.

According to NAB sources, the prosecution team will try to convince the court to indict Nawaz Sharif in absentia, as, according to reports, he plans to stay in London for months. The court is empowered to grant him more time to appear or indict him despite his absence. On last hearing, senior counsel Khawaja Haris had argued that since all the co-accused were not present, indictment of former premier could not take place under the law at this stage.

However, the court had hinted that if the children do not appear, Nawaz would alone be indicted and trial would be initiated against him separately.

Published in Daily Times, October 9^th 2017.