The Accountability Court-II on Thursday summoned deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif in two pending corruption references against him and his family. Judge Arshad Malik heard the Al-Azizia and Flagship Investment references and directed the prosecution to present Panamagate joint investigation team (JIT) head and prosecution’s star witness Wajid Zia for the hearing on August 13. As the hearing started, Judge Malik questioned National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) Deputy Prosecutor General Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi regarding the progress in investigation into the two remaining corruption references. The NAB prosecutor told the court, “After Wajid Zia, only one more witness’s statements need to be recorded.” “There are three suspects in both the references. Investigation is ongoing against Nawaz while his sons, Hasan and Hussain, have already been declared absconders in the case,” he further said. The hearing was then adjourned till Monday. On August 7, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) transferred the two references to Accountability Court-II. Nawaz Sharif’s legal counsel had filed an appeal requesting the court to transfer the Al-Azizia and Flagship Investment references from the court of Accountability Judge-I Muhammad Bashir to another accountability court. Published in Daily Times, August 10th 2018.