Avenfield reference: Sharifs get record of SC’s Panamagate proceedings

Sharif, Maryam, Safdar expected to record statement before the accountability court on May 21

ISLAMABAD: Sharif family on Friday obtained certified record of the Panamagate proceedings from the Supreme Court in order to respond to the questionnaire earlier provided to the accused by an accountability court in connection with the Avenfield Apartment reference.

Sources revealed that the certified copies of various petitions, review petition, statements, written submissions and many other documents were obtained from the top court on Friday so that they could be attached with the statement of the deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam and her husband Captain (retd) Muhammad Safdar in the London flats reference.



The former PM, Maryam and Safdar are expected to record their statement under section 342 of the Criminal Procedure Code before the accountability court on May 21 [Monday].

Sources at the Supreme Court revealed that a detailed list of required documents pertaining to the Panamagate proceedings which started in September 2016 was submitted and the same was provided to the counsel for Sharif family.

Meanwhile, the accountability court conducting trial of the Sharif, his daughter and son-in-law granted time to the accused till May 21 for recording their statements in the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) reference pertaining to Avenfield Apartments.

When the reference was taken up for hearing on Friday, Sharif's counsel Khawaja Haris requested the court to first conclude cross examination of NAB's key witness, Wajid Zia, in Al-Azizia & Hill Metal Establishment reference since several questions in the questionnaire provided to the accused earlier were related to the crucial facts which are similar in all the three NAB references.

The defence counsel said the facts related to UAE, UK properties and Qatari investment were overlapping and recording statements of accused under section 342 of the CrPC before Zia's testimony in all the three reference of NAB will prejudice the defence's case.

Haris argued that some certified documents which were required to be attached with the reply had yet to be obtained from the Supreme Court, adding that a request has already been made to the registrar office of the Supreme Court and, therefore, the matter may be adjourned till Monday.

NAB's prosecutor Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi said the court on previous hearing prepared the questionnaire, handed it over to the defence counsel and granted one day's time for submitting their reply yet the defence has sought more time.

Muzaffar termed the request seeking more time as delaying tactic and requested the court to record statement of Sharif and others without any further delay.

Haris requested the court to defer the proceedings as defence needed more time to prepare answers to the questions, adding that there were some mistakes in the questionnaire and few questions could not be completely understood.

Another NAB prosecutor Afzal Qureshi said the accountability court was working under the deadline set by the Supreme Court, therefore, any change in the already scheduled proceeding would cause delay. He suggested that identical questions in references may be responded later on.



Following brief arguments from defence and prosecution, Judge Muhammad Bashir granted time till Monday for recording statement of Sharif, Maryam and Safdar in the Avenfield flats reference. Judge Bashir remarked that it is the last chance for accused to record statements and present their version.

Before that the court deferred recording Sharif family's statements scheduled to be recorded under section 342 of the CrPC on Friday. On May 16, the court had handed over a questionnaire carrying over 100 questions to the counsel of Sharif family.

NAB had filed three references — Avenfield Apartments, Al-Azizia & Hill Metal Establishment and Flagship references — against members of the Sharif family in line with the Supreme Court's July 28, 2017 in Panamagate case. The court will resume hearing on Monday when the accused are expected to record their statements in London properties reference.