Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was granted exemption from physical appearance for one day in the Flagship Investment reference filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo had applied for exemption on Friday which was approved by accountability court judge Arshad Malik.
Despite the exemption, Khawaja Harris, the counsel for former prime minister, continued cross-examination of Wajid Zia, prosecution’s star witness in the case.
During the hearing, Wajid Zia revealed that Mian Sharif would give an amount of SAR 1,500 on monthly basis to Captain (r) Safdar, the son-in-law of Nawaz Sharif.
The NAB had filed three references against the Sharif family in line with the directives of the Supreme Court in the Panama Papers case verdict.
Nawaz Sharif was sentenced to 10 years in prison by the accountability court in the Avenfield reference, however the conviction was suspended by a two-member bench of the Islamabad High Court.
Besides Flagship Investment reference, another reference regarding the Al-Azizia Steel Mills has also been filed by the watchdog against the members of the former ruling family.
Published in Daily Times, November 3rd 2018.
