Avenfield case: Court directs Wajid Zia to approach SC for JIT report's volume X
Former PM Nawaz, daughter Maryam could not attend today's hearing as their flight could not take off from Lahore due to bad weather
April 03, 2018
ISLAMABAD: The accountability court hearing the Avenfield properties reference against former premier Nawaz Sharif and his family directed Wajid Zia, who headed the Panama case joint investigation team (JIT) which probed the Sharif family assets last year, to approach the Supreme Court for obtaining the JIT report's volume X.
As the hearing of the Avenfield properties reference went under way, Nawaz's counsel Khawaja Haris informed Judge Mohammad Bashir the former premier's flight was not allowed to take off from Lahore owing to the weather.
The judge approved the request but directed Nawaz's son-in-law MNA Capt (retd) Safdar to remain in court.
The case, based on a reference filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on the Supreme Court's directions, pertains to the Sharif family's London apartments.
As Zia’s cross-examination went under way, he informed Haris that the JIT sent four letters to the UAE government under the mutual legal assistance programme, three of which did not have any attached documents.
Later, Zia shared that the Supreme Court had directed for the sealing of the JIT report's volume-X after the investigation team had asked for it to be done.
Zia was then directed by the court to bring the said volume from the Supreme Court so the trial court may peruse it.
The hearing was later adjourned until tomorrow, when the cross-examination will continue. Zia is being cross-examined since the last few hearings after having recorded his statement earlier over several weeks.
During Monday's hearing, pointing to Zia's 'u-turns' in his statements, Haris pleaded the court to record the proceedings of the case. The judge informally agreed to the notion.
The cases
The trial against the Sharif family had commenced on September 14, 2017.
Wajid Zia completes recording statement in Avenfield reference against Sharifs
The corruption references, filed against the Sharif family, pertain to the Al-Azizia Steel Mills and Hill Metal Establishment, offshore companies including Flagship Investment Ltd, and Avenfield properties of London.
Nawaz and sons Hussain and Hasan are accused in all three references whereas his daughter Maryam and son-in-law MNA Capt (retd) Safdar are accused in the Avenfield reference only.
The two brothers, based abroad, have been absconding since the proceedings began last year and were declared proclaimed offenders by the court.
