An accountability court resumed hearing of Al-Azizia corruption reference against Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday. Accountability Court II Judge Arshad Malik was presiding over the case. As the hearing went under way, defence counsel Khawaja Haris notified the court that Nawaz’s wife Begum Kulsoom had passed away. Stating that he was informed today that Nawaz had been taken to Lahore on parole after Begum Kulsoom’s death, Haris said he had not received instructions to continue with the proceedings in his client’s absence. Judge Malik then remarked that Begum Kulsoom was a national figure and it was not appropriate to continue with the proceedings today. The court then postponed the hearing till Thursday. Published in Daily Times, September 13th 2018.