Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: National Accountability Bureau (NAB) witness Abdul Wahid recorded his statement before an accountability court on Wednesday in a supplementary reference filed against the Sharif family members pertaining to their London-based Avenfield properties.

The prosecution witness, who is a director general at Directorate of Electronic Media and Publications (DEMP), provided CDs containing the interviews of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s son Hussain Nawaz.

He informed Accountability Judge Mohammad Bashir that he had previously provided the anti-graft body with the CDs containing Sharif’s address to nation and speech at parliament.

At outset of the proceedings, Sharif’s lead counsel Khawaja Harris argued that the three CDs provided by the prosecution were damaged as an error of insupportable format prompted.

Later, the CDs were played at the courtroom. “The player is supporting the videos’ format and CDs are absolutely fine,” quipped Deputy Prosecution General NAB Sardar Muzaffar Abbas.

Sharif’s counsel Khawaja Harris cross-examined the NAB witness.

Earlier today, ousted premier Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law Mohammad Safdar appeared before the court.

At the hearing on Friday, the accountability court approved a plea filed by the NAB to record statements of two UK-based prosecution witnesses via video link.

Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz didn’t show up to the court. However, Sharif’s son-in-law Mohammad Safdar appeared before the court.

During the court proceedings, NAB prosecutor Sardar Mazhar Abbasi submitted an application requesting the court to document statements of two foreign witnesses via video link.

The prosecutor then informed the court that the witnesses would be available on February 6 and 7 to record their statements through video link. Maryam and her spouse Safdar’s counsel Amjad Pervez opposed the plea and asserted that his clients should also be then allowed to document their statements via video link, as they couldn’t attend the hearing session today.

Hearing the arguments, the court had then reserved its decision on the plea which was later announced that day.

Published in Daily Times, February 8^th 2018.