Al-Azizia reference: Nawaz to be grilled by accountability court today

ISLAMABAD: The decisive phase of an Accountability Court hearing into Al-Azizia reference will begin today, with all spotlight on former prime minister Nawaz Sharif , ARY News reported.

The court proceedings begin at 9.30am that will be headed by Judge Muhammad Arshad Malik. According to sources, Nawaz Sharif will appear before the court and answer about 100 questions prepared by the judge.

Mr. Sharif didn’t make it to the court on Thursday for unexplained reasons, however he is expected to attend the hearing today.

During the proceedings on Wednesday (Oct 31), the former prime minister was allowed to leave the hearing due to protest in Islamabad against Asia Bibi’s acquittal in blasphemy case. An accountability court on Tuesday ruled that it would record statement of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in the Al-Azizia reference on next hearing.

National Accountability Bureau (NAB) prosecutor Wasiq Malik informed the judge that the depositions of all prosecution witnesses have completed in the case.

A total of 22 witnesses recorded their testimonies before the court in the Al-Azizia corruption reference.

The accountability court has until November 17 to wrap up the remaining two corruption references – Al-Azizia and Flagship Investments – against the Sharif family.

The Supreme Court had granted a final extension to the court earlier this month, after its deadline to conclude the trials against the Sharifs had ended on October 7.

NAB had filed three references against the Sharif family in pursuance of the July 28 order that disqualified Nawaz Sharif from the office of prime minister.

A reference pertaining to the Sharif family’s Avenfield properties in London has been decided while Al-Azizia and Flagship Investment references are pending disposal.

On July 6, an accountability court had sentenced Nawaz to a total of eleven years in prison and imposed a £8 million fine in the corruption reference.