ISLAMABAD: Accountability Judge Mohammad Arshad Malik on Thursday took up two pending references against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif after these were transferred to him from the court of Judge Mohammad Bashir on the order of the Islamabad High Court.

Judge Malik summoned Mr Sharif and Wajid Zia, the head of Supreme Court-formed joint investigation team in the Panama Papers case, on Aug 13 when the court would formulate strategy to move forward in the Al-Azizia and Flagship Investment references stalled since May as Judge Bashir had decided to conclude the Avenfield properties reference first.

The SC had on July 28, 2017, while accepting petitions of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed and others, disqualified Mr Sharif from holding the office of prime minister and directed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to file three references against the former premier and his children in the accountability court with a directive to conclude the trial within six months.

Accountability Judge Bashir convicted Mr Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law retired Capt Mohammad Safdar in the Avenfield reference and awarded them 10-year, seven-year and one year imprisonment, respectively.

Proceedings in two pending references against ousted PM begin

Following conviction in the Avenfield reference, Advocate Khawaja Haris, the lead defence counsel, filed an application in the IHC, seeking transfer of the two pending references from the court of Judge Bashir since the evidence in the two references was said to be identical.

The defence counsel also challenged the conviction and filed petitions seeking suspension of sentences.

The legal team of Mr Sharif comprising Advocate Haris, Barrister Saad Hashmi and Advocate Zaafir Khan appeared before Judge Malik on Thursday.

Advocate Haris informed Judge Malik that the IHC would take up petitions of the Sharifs seeking suspension of their sentences and bail for them.

When the proceedings in the Al-Azizia reference stopped, the defence counsel was cross-examining key prosecution witness Wajid Zia.

Advocate Haris requested the court to defer the cross-examination of Mr Zia until Friday, but suggested that the court record testimony of the witness in the Flagship Investment reference on Aug 13 instead.

The court, however, fixed Mr Zia’s cross-examination for Aug 13 and said the defence counsel might examine Mr Zia after attending the hearing in the IHC.

Published in Dawn, August 10th, 2018