ISLAMABAD: The Acco­untability Court of Islama­bad on Friday indicted former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in the Flagship Investment reference.

It was the third reference in which Mr Sharif has been indicted.

The same court on Thurs­day indicted him as well as his daughter Maryam and son-in-law retired Captain Mohammad Safdar in the London flats and Al-Azizia Company references.

On Friday, the court framed charges against Mr Sharif through his pleader, Zafir Khan, since the former prime minister is in the United Kingdom to see his ailing wife.

The reference is related to establishment of Flag­ship Investment Limited and 15 other companies in the UK. The reference alleged that the accused persons, namely Mr Sharif and his sons, Hussain and Hassan Nawaz, “used these companies to manage/acquire expensive properties”.

It further alleged that the accused persons were given ample opportunities to explain and provide

evidence regarding the accumulation of these assets but they had failed to justify the source of funds for establishing these firms.

The court indicted Mr Sharif under Section 9 (a) of the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO), 1999. As per the charge sheet, the former prime minister has been accused purchasing expensive properties in the UK in the name of his sons Hussain and Hassan Nawaz.

Mr Khan on behalf of Mr Sharif pleaded not guilty. He stated that the accused denied the charges and said that the apex court’s directions to the accountability court for concluding the trial in six months and appointing a monitoring judge to supervise the trial proceeding was against the right to fair trial.

He further said that it was against the constitutional provisions which ensure dignity of citizen and right to fair and transparent trial proceedings.

After the indictment, the court summoned a prosecution witness — Jahangir Khan of Inland Revenue Service (IRS) of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) — and put of the trial proceeding till Oct 26.

The same court would also take up another reference related to London properties against the Sharif family on the said date and had already summoned Sidra Mansoor, an official of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan, for recording testimony.

Published in Dawn, October 21st, 2017