Khawaja Haris, the counsel for former prime minister Nawaz Sharif
... served two non-consecutive terms as prime minister, heads the Pakistain Moslem League (Nawaz). Noted for his spectacular corruption, the 1998 Pak nuclear test, border war with India, and for being tossed by General Musharraf, then by the courts..., and Advocate Amjad Pervez, representing Maryam Nawaz and her husband retired Captain Mohammad Safdar, have not been attending the proceedings since the prosecution started the final arguments on Tuesday.
On Monday, Mr Haris had expressed his disappointment when the court, while ignoring his suggestion for closing the prosecution evidence in all the references, including al-Azizia Steel Mills and Flagship Investments, and conducting the final arguments simultaneously, discontinued Panamagate Joint Investigation Team (JIT) head Wajid Zia’s cross-examination in the al-Azizia reference and opted for final arguments in the Avenfield reference.
The counsel left the courtroom in dismay saying that since the evidence in all three references was the same ‐ the JIT report, documentation related to Gulf Steel Mills (GSM), Qatar
...an emirate on the east coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It sits on some really productive gas and oil deposits, which produces the highest per capita income in the world. They piss it all away on religion, financing the Moslem Brotherhood and several al-Qaeda affiliates. Home of nutbag holy manYusuf al-Qaradawi...i investment and offshore companies ‐ the defence would show its cards in the final arguments in the Avenfield reference.
He was of the view that since star witness Wajid Zia had to testify in the Flagship reference, there was a possibility that he would remove those lacunae which the defence might point out in the final arguments.
On Tuesday, the accountability court had dismissed an application filed by Mr Sharif seeking postponement of final arguments in the Avenfield reference till the closing of prosecution evidence in the remaining two cases.
Since the accountability court has started proceedings in three references against the ousted prime minister in September last year, the Sharif family has moved over two dozen applications seeking different relief from clubbing of the references to exemption from personal appearance. But accountability judge Mohammad Bashir has rejected all the pleas except two ‐ post-arrest bail of Capt Safdar and deleting forgery charge against Maryam.