[Maryam Nawaz: The charges are being framed without awaiting the detailed order of the Supreme Court in the review petitions. (Photo: Dawn)]
Islamabad: Ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and her husband retired Captain Mohammad Safdar were indicted by an accountability court in Islamabad on Thursday in connection with a reference pertaining to the Avenfield flats filed against them by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), DawnNews reported.
All three accused pleaded not guilty to the charges.
"I do not plead guilty. Charges are not only groundless, baseless and unfounded but also frivolous, and on top of that we are being denied our right to fair trial.
"The charges are being framed on a report that is incomplete and controversial. It will go down in history as [a] mockery of justice and travesty of justice.
"Moreover, the charges are being framed without awaiting the detailed order of the Supreme Court in the review petitions", a statement released by their pleader said.
Nawaz Sharif, 67, resigned in July after the Supreme Court disqualified him from holding office over an undeclared source of income, but the veteran leader maintains his grip on the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party.
Sharif's disqualification stemmed from the Panama Papers leaks in 2016 that appeared to show that his daughter and two sons owned offshore holding companies registered in the British Virgin Islands and used them to buy posh flats in London.
The Supreme Court initially declined to dismiss Sharif but ordered an investigation into his family’s wealth. After the probe, it disqualified him and ordered the NAB to investigate and conduct a trial.
A separate Supreme Court-appointed panel said the family’s wealth did not match its income and accused Maryam and her brothers of signing forged documents to obscure ownership of offshore companies used to buy the London flats.
Post Comments
| Quick links