Al-Azizia reference adjourned without any proceeding

ISLAMABAD: Accountability judge Arshad Malik, in an enraged state, adjourned the hearing of Al-Azizia reference against Nawaz Sharif and others without any proceeding, owing to the absence of defense counsel Khawaja Haris, who is reportedly unwell.

As an accountability court took up the hearing of graft reference against the Sharif family, the judge received an application from Nawaz Sharif’s lawyer, stating that he was unwell and unable to appear before the court.

Judge Arshad Malik remarked on the request that a similar situation had occurred yesterday referring to uninformed disappearance of accused Nawaz Sharif and his counsel from the case hearing a day earlier.

Judge Malik bewailed that the case had not made any headway in the ongoing week.

Concerned about the nearing deadline to wrap up the corruption case hearing, the Judge noted that the Supreme Court was yet to grant another extension to conclude the corruption trial.

Summoning prosecution witness Mehboob Alam tomorrow, Judge Malik adjourned the hearing till October 3.

In yesterday’s hearing of the reference, National Accountability Bureau (NAB) prosecutor, on Nawaz’s absence, said that an exemption plea was not submitted by the accused, hence non-bailable arrest warrants should be issued for the PML-N supreme leader over his no-show in the courtroom.

The accountability court was later apprised that Nawaz was under anxiety due to which he could not present himself before the court.

In Al-Azizia reference, the testimony of all prosecution witnesses against the Sharif family has been concluded.