Flagship reference: Nawaz Sharif summoned by accountability court today

ISLAMABAD: An accountability court will resume hearing into Flagship Investment Reference filed against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, ARY News reported.

The case has entered a decisive phase after prosecution witness, Wajid Zia, completed his testimony in the reference. The court has already closed evidence in the Al-Azizia reference and in the next stage former premier Nawaz Sharif will come to record his statement under Section 342 of the Criminal Procedure Code after which the prosecution as well as the defence counsel will begin their final arguments.

The defence counsel and the prosecutors hope that the proceedings in both Al-Azizia and Flagship Investment references would be winded up before the Nov 17 deadline given by the Supreme Court.

During the hearing on Monday, Nawaz Sharif didn’t turn up for an unexplained reason and his statement pertaining to Al-Azizia Steel Mill case could not be recorded.

However, Sharif’s counsel Khawaja Harris continued cross-examination of the Panama JIT head Wajid Zia. During the hearing, Mr. Zia also informed the court that no documents were found which could prove his client [Nawaz Sharif] provided money for the FIC.

“None of the witnesses said Sharif provided any sort of monetary assistance for Flagship Investment,” he continued. “Hasan Nawaz did not even say that his father gave money for it.”

During the proceedings on Oct 31, the former PM Nawaz Sharif was allowed to leave the hearing due to protests against Asia Bibi’s acquittal in blasphemy case.