Maryam Nawaz, daughter of ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif, and her husband retired Captain Muhammad Safdar appeared before an accountability court in Islamabad on Monday in connection with a reference prepared against them by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
Maryam arrived at the court amid tight security Monday morning, accompanied by senior PML-N leaders and ministers. Her husband, who was taken into custody by NAB upon his arrival to Pakistan, was brought to the court later.
The son-in-law of Nawaz Sharif and his wife had arrived from London on Monday morning to appear before the accountability court in connection with the NAB reference pertaining to London properties owned by the Sharif family.
During the hearing, PML-N leader Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry submitted surety bonds worth Rs5 million on behalf of Maryam. She was also provided a copy of the NAB reference along with relevant details.
After hearing arguments from the prosecution, the court accepted bail of both Maryam and her husband. The judge ordered NAB authorities to release Capt Safdar.
The couple separately left the court after acceptance of their bail.
The court also heard arguments on an application filed by Nawaz Sharif seeking permanent exemption from appearance in the court.
When the court asked Sharif's counsel, Khawaja Harris, whether he was requesting exemption from today's hearing only, the lawyer responded that his client had gone to London to look after his ailing wife and he should therefore be granted permanent exemption. The court reserved its decision on the application.
Meanwhile, the NAB prosecution asked the court to issue arrest warrants for Nawaz Sharif, who they said had left for London, despite being a primary accused, without informing NAB authorities. Accountability Judge Mohammad Bashir reserved his decision on this matter as well.
Safdar taken into custody
Capt Safdar was taken into custody by a NAB team minutes after he landed at Benazir Bhutto International Airport along with his wife Maryam from London in the early hours of Monday morning.
The NAB authorities had to seek help of the Islamabad police when the charged workers of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-N lay down in front of the NAB vehicle carrying Capt Safdar.
The arrest followed issuance of non-bailable warrants by the accountability court for Capt Safdar after he failed to appear on previous hearings despite notices.
Amid slogans by the PML-N supporters, Maryam Nawaz left the airport for the residence of PML-N leader Chaudhry Muneer, reports said.
Earlier, before her departure for Islamabad from London on Sunday, Maryam Nawaz said that the so-called accountability of her family continuing for the past over one year was not for justice but for revenge. But she quickly added that she was returning “to test the judicial system”.
Capt Safdar told Geo News that the couple had decided to return to Pakistan on the advice of their lawyers.
NAB references
A five-member bench of the Supreme Court on July 28 had directed NAB to file references against Nawaz and his children in six weeks in the accountability court and directed the trial court to decide the references within six months. The Supreme Court also assigned Justice Ijazul Ahsan a supervisory role to monitor the progress of the accountability court proceedings.
The former premier and his sons have been named in all three NAB references, while Maryam and husband Safdar have been named only in the Avenfield reference.
The trial court judge has already decided that in case the children of Nawaz Sharif do not join the proceedings, the court would indict Sharif alone and start his trial separately.
On Oct 2, the accountability court issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Sharif's sons — Hussain and Hassan Nawaz — and son-in-law Capt Safdar for failing to appear in court. The judge, however, did not issue non-bailable warrants for Maryam but repeated the bailable arrest warrants after the counsel for Sharif assured the court that she and her spouse would join the proceedings on the next date of hearing on October 9.
Courtesy: Dawn News
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