Al-Azizia hearing resumes today

Accountability Judge Mohammad Arshad Malik has already handed over a questionnaire comprising 140 questions to Nawaz

ISLAMABAD: The hearing in the Al-Azizia reference case against Nawaz Sharif will commence today (Monday), as the deposed prime minister would record his testimony in the third and last reference against him.

Special prosecutor of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Wasiq Malik, will continue with the final arguments in the Al-Azizia/Hill Metal Establishment (HME) reference. He is expected to complete his arguments in the case following which lead defence counsel Khawaja Haris Ahmed would commence his final arguments.

Accountability Judge Mohammad Arshad Malik had already handed over a questionnaire comprising 140 questions to Sharif. Initially, the judge had shared 62 questions with Sharif. However, on the request of the defence, the judge provided the former prime minister the complete questionnaire. The defence counsel had told the court that his client had to go through the record to respond to the questions.

He informed the court that despite serving summons, Qatari Prince Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al-Thani did not appear before the joint investigation team (JIT) to record his statement and to verify the authenticity of money trail, which the Sharif family’s members presented before the court to justify their assets in the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia.