Sharif's son-in-law files plea with court to seek personal appearance exemption

ISLAMABAD: Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s son-in-law Captain (retd) Muhammad Safdar on Tuesday filed a plea to seek an exemption from personal appearance before an accountability court in a graft case, ARY News reported.

At the outset of court proceedings today, Safdar through his counsel submitted the plea seeking an exemption from personal appearance in the court hearing for 15 days.

The petitioner’s lawyer also informed the court that Advocate Faisal Irfan will represent Captain Safdar in his absence during the court proceedings.

Talking to media outside the accountability court, Safdar denounced accountability proceedings against Sharif family members, stating that his father-in-law Nawaz Sharif was ousted as Prime Minister for initiating countrywide development projects.

He reiterated the words of former PM Sharif that the PML-N president was disqualified by judges took oath under PCO.

“The incompetent judges disqualified Sharif,” he lamented.

Coming on recent religious sit-in in Islamabad, he said the agreement between the government and religious parties was signed somewhere else, implying the intervention of third party.

Personal appearance exemption to Sharif, Maryam

A day earlier, the accountability judge granted the request of the former prime minister Sharif to change his period of exemption from personal appearance, whereas the court dismissed the same plea of his daughter Maryam Nawaz.

The court also recorded the statement of prosecution witness Malik Tayyab Ahmad, an employee of a private commercial bank. He submitted the details of accounts and transactions statements of Sharif.

Maryam and her husband Captain (retd) Safdar have been named in a single corruption reference pertaining to the Sharif family’s London properties. Whereas, Sharif and his two sons – Hassan and Hussain – have been nominated in three references related to the London flats, Al-Aziza Steel Mills and Hill Metals Establishment.