Daily Times

An accountability court hearing the Avenfield reference on Thursday approved a one-day exemption request by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz, who are in London to tend to ailing Kulsoom Nawaz.

As the hearing started, Amjad Pervez, counsel for Maryam and her husband Capt (r) Safdar, began presenting his final arguments in the case. He informed the court that unlike Nawaz’s counsel, he would not take seven days to present his concluding arguments. “I will complete my final arguments within 3-4 days,” he said.

Pervez then submitted an old medical report of Kulsoom Nawaz in the court and filed a seven-day exemption request for the defendants. He informed the court that Kulsoom’s new medical report will be received by Friday (today) and accordingly submitted to the court. The exemption request stated that Nawaz’s wife is ill and he is in London to be with her. It further said that Maryam is also in London to tend to her mother. However, the court granted a one-day exemption to Nawaz and Maryam from appearing in court.

Later, Accountability Judge Muhammad Bashir adjourned the hearing until Friday (today), when Maryam’s counsel will continue his closing remarks.

Nawaz and his family are facing three corruption cases in the accountability court after the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) filed references against them in light of the Supreme Court’s verdict in the Panama Papers case last year.

Published in Daily Times, June 29^th 2018.