ISLAMABAD: The Accountability court on Friday extended the statement recording of former Prime Minister (PM) Nawaz and family in Avenfield properties till Monday.
During the hearing of the reference case, defense counsel Khawaja Harris requested the court to delay the statement recording till Monday as more time was required to go over the 127 questions in the questionnaire sent by the accountability court.
However, the prosecution objected to the defense counsel’s plea, arguing that the accused were merely trying to delay the proceedings.
Accountability Judge Mohammad Bashir approved the defense counsel’s plea, observing that no more delay can be done after Monday.
Later on, Judge Bashir ruled that key witness and former head of Joint Investigation Team (JIT) Wajid Zia should appear before the court on Tuesday instead of Monday for resuming the cross-examination of witness in Al Azizia Steel Mills reference case.
Earlier today it was expected that the accused will be recording their statement in Avenfield properties case.
In the previous hearing, accountability court had sent a questionnaire comprising of 127 questions pertaining to Avenfield. The court had directed the defense to base their statement record as per the given questionnaire.
On May 16, National Accountability Bureau (NAB) prosecutor Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi had pled the court to record the statement of the accused in Avenfield properties case. The court had reserved its verdict on the prosecutor’s plea
Former Prime Minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif along with daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law Captain (r) Safdar were charged in Al-Azizia Steel Mills, Avenfield Properties and Flagship Investment Limited reference cases in September last year by NAB following the Panama Papers verdict.
The case proceedings of Avenfield properties completed its key witness statement recording on March 27.
The reference cases were to end within six months duration making it till mid-march; however, on May 9 trial court’s second extension plea was approved by the apex court, granting a month’s extension to conclude the trial.