The Pakistan Accountability Court on Thursday issued bailable warrants against former Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif in the Azizia Steel Mills and Flagship Investment Limited references filed by the National Accountability Bureau.
Sharif, who had been granted a 15-day exemption period, had his counsel, Khawaja Harris, requesting the court for another seven days of exemption, due to the poor health of his wife. Taking this as an indication of Sharif’s reluctance to appear in front of court, the NAB prosecutor Justice Mohammad Bashir requested the court to issue the bailable warrants against him.
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On 19 October, the accountability court (AC) had indicted former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law Captain (r) Safdar in the Avenfield Flats reference.
Maryam and Safdar had earlier landed in front of the Accountability Court among tight security. The duo, as well as Nawaz Sharif, had pleaded ‘not-guilty’ to the charges levied against them.
Nawaz had reportedly not submitted surety bonds in the Azizia and Flagship references, but had submitted a Rs 5 million surety bond in the Avenfield reference, in front of court.
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The court has adjourned the hearing till 3 November.
While rejecting all of the pleas for Sharif’s exemption period to be extended, Bashir said that if Sharif doesn’t appear before court by the due date, a non-bailable arrest warrant will be filed against him.
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