ISLAMABAD: As the counsel for PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz and her husband Capt (retd) Safdar resumed his final arguments in the Avenfield reference on Friday, he presented prosecution witness Mazhar Raza Bangash’s letter in the court, questioning its authenticity. Amjad Pervez dismissed Bangash’s claim that the letter was presented in a sealed envelope, citing the testimony of a witness presented by the National Accountability Bureau, Zawar Manzoor. The defence counsel contended that documents submitted by Bangash were photocopies and thus could not be made part of the court’s record in accordance with Pakistan’s Qanun-e-Shahadat Order of 1984 (Law of Evidence). Further, he objected to the absence of Shezi Naqvi, who had earlier submitted an affidavit in the case, and said that Senator Rehman Malik’s report could not be deemed official as even the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had not accepted it. “Nawaz is neither the owner of the London flats and nor has he occupied them since 1993,” Pervez said, adding that the Sharif family may have been links to the property at some point, but Nawaz was never associated with it. Before the session was adjourned, the court issued summons for the Federal Investigation Agency additional director Wajid Zia, who headed the Panama Papers joint investigation team (JIT), for July 3. Zia would appear in court on the day in connection with the Al-Azizia Steel Mills reference. Meanwhile, the hearing of Avenfield reference would resume on July 2. The Sharif family face three corruption references filed in the wake of the Supreme Court’s verdict in the Panama Papers case last year. At the hearing on Thursday, the accountability court had approved a one-day exemption request of PML-N quaid Nawaz Sharif and his daughter – who are in London where Begum Kulsoom Nawaz is under treatment. Amjad Pervez submitted an old medical report of Begum Kulsoom but told the court that a new report would be submitted by June 29 (yesterday). Published in Daily Times, June 30th 2018.