Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The accountability court resumed hearing the corruption references against former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his family on Thursday.

Captain (retd) Safdar was the first to reach the judicial complex and his car was surrounded by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supporters and lawyers upon reaching the Accountability Court.

Maryam Nawaz, the former premier’s daughter also reached the premises after a special plane brought her from Lahore to Islamabad International Airport and her convoy sped all the way to the judicial complex.

Nawaz Sharif will be skipping today’s hearing because he is performing Umrah in Saudi Arabia accompanied by his mother and is expected to be back in the country next week.

The National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) first two witnesses belonging to Security and Exchange Commission of Pakistan and Federal Board of Revenue respectively are likely to have their statements recorded today.

Nawaz Sharif’s senior counsel, Khawaja Harris and his children’s representative Amjad Pervez have also reached the judicial complex.

Around 400 security personnel has been assigned duty at the judicial complex and areas surrounding it.

When asked by media about not coming to the hearing with his wife Maryam Nawaz, Capt (retd) Safdar said “You should ask the security guys about this, they have their own security programmes”

During the last hearing on October 19, Nawaz Sharif was indicted in the Avenfiled properties case along with Maryam and Safdar and Nawaz was represented by Zafir Khan, a member of his legal team, who pleaded not guilty.

The former premier was also indicted in the two other references against him by the Accountability Court.

A list has been made up of personalities who would be allowed to enter the court premises while irrelevant people have been barred from entering the judicial complex.

These references were filed by NAB upon instructions of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.