Daily Times

Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz were on Tuesday granted a week-long exemption from appearing for hearings of accountability references for four days.

The former premier and his daughter are in London where Begum Kulsoom Nawaz is under treatment.

As the hearing of the cases started on Tuesday, the counsel for Nawaz and Maryam submitted a request with judge Mohammad Bashir seeking a week-long exemption for their clients. The judge accepted the plea.

Meanwhile, Khawaja Haris resumed his role as the lead counsel for Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday, after previously recusing himself from the case in protest against Supreme Court’s ‘dictation’ to the accountability court.

As the hearing started on Tuesday, the accountability judge inquired from Haris if he had appeared to withdraw his request ending his power of attorney for Nawaz. “First, I have to file another petition. I have a right to know whether the court will hear the three cases simultaneously or separately,” Haris responded.

The accountability court judge said Haris’ request for withdrawal of the power of attorney was never accepted in the first place. NAB prosecutor Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi pointed out, “We did not even object and the request was dismissed.”

Haris then urged the prosecution to proceed in the matter in coordination with the defence counsel. “There is a law for everything. The Supreme Court asked us to work on Saturdays as well and under what law does that fall?” Nawaz’s counsel questioned. Haris then resumed presenting final arguments in the Avenfield case before the hearing was adjourned.

Haris had recused himself from representing Nawaz on June 11. Among other reasons for the decision, he had cited the Supreme Court’s ‘directive to complete the trial within a month’. On June 14, Nawaz had hired Jahangir Jadoon to represent him in the NAB references.

Published in Daily Times, June 20^th 2018.