Sharif urges probe into ‘horse-trading’

Says PML-N will support any move by affected parties

ISLAMABAD: Ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif has called for an investigation into the allegations of horse-trading in the recent Senate elections, saying the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) will support other political parties if they want to devise a strategy to counter the practice.

“This issue should be investigated. We will join other parties affected by horse-trading if they want to evolve a strategy,” said the former PM on Wednesday while addressing the media outside an accountability court conducting his trial in connection with three corruption references field by the National Accountability Bureau.

The Senate elections held for half of its seats on March 3 were mired in controversy as major political parties, except for the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), alleged widespread horse-trading particularly in Balochistan, Sindh and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

Taking notice of the claims, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday asked the political parties to appear before it with proofs on March 14.

Speaking with reference to the controversy, Sharif, whose party also lost a seat in Punjab, said, “We detest the concept of horse-trading. The [PML-N] has never participated in any kind of horse-trading.”
Accountability court proceedings

Earlier, the accountability court granted Sharif permission to leave courtroom early after his counsel Khawaja Haris informed the court that his client wanted to leave as he was not feeling well.



Meanwhile, four prosecution witnesses – Shahid Mehmood, Waqar Ahmed, Umar Daraz and Hassan Riaz Kirmani – recorded their statements and Haris completed cross-examination of the witnesses in the Flagship, Al-Azizia and Hill Metal Establishment references.
Mehmood provided videos and transcript of Sharif’s address to the nation in the National Assembly.

Daraz informed the court that he took summons issued for Sharif to his residence in Jati Umra where a security officer, Muhammad Arif, received it.

He said he neither met Sharif directly nor did he talk to him, adding that he did not ask for any authority letter from the security officer.
Kirmani provided details of a bank account opened in the name of one Khawaja Haroon Pasha. He said Pasha’s account was opened in 2014 and money was transferred in the account from Hill Metal Establishment on different occasions.

Now, Wajid Zia – the head of the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) which probed the Panama Papers scandal – will appear before the court to record his statement in the Avenfield reference on March 8 (today).

Haris and another defence counsel Amjad Pervaiz are likely to cross-examine Zia in connection with the statement of a foreign witness, Akhtar Riaz Raja of London’s Quist Solicitors who admitted before the court that he is the first cousin of the JIT’s head.

Raja had engaged another foreign witness, Robert W Radley, who conducted forensic examination of trust deeds pertaining to Avenfield Apartments and brought the issue of Calibri font and ‘forgery’ to the JIT’s notice.

The owner of the UK-based law firm said in his statement he had congratulated Zia on becoming head of the JIT via text message and that was their first contact, adding later the all the JIT members took the decision to engage him as solicitor. He revealed that he was engaged under the UK laws, denying the impression that his law firm was selected because of his relation with Zia.

In his statement, Raja said the purpose of his engagement was to review documents and issues emanating from the documents and any further action. He said he and his family were not activists of any political party in Pakistan but confirmed that he had an active Facebook account.

Sharif, his daughter Maryam and her husband Captain (retd) Safdar are facing trial while Sharif’s sons – Hussain and Hassan – have been declared proclaimed offenders as they did not join the trial proceedings.

In its July 28, 2017 judgment, the Supreme Court had directed NAB to file references against Sharif, his sons, daughter, and son-in-law within six weeks.



The SC had also directed the trial court to conclude the references within six months but the court has sought extension in the deadline as NAB filed supplementary references against the suspects when the court had almost completed recording testimony of the prosecution witnesses in the interim references.

On Wednesday, the SC granted two months more to the accountability court to conclude the trial against Sharif family.