Maryam Nawaz-Captain Safdar to appear again on Oct 19
13 October, 2017
The accountability court adjourned the hearing of graft cases against the Sharif family soon after ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif's daughter and son-in-law — Maryam Nawaz and Captain (retd) Safdar — arrived in court, as PML-N lawyers and supporters created a racket while trying to enter the courtroom.
Just as accountability court Judge Muhammad Bashir entered the courtroom, a number of lawyers associated with the PML-N forced their way into the court and surrounded the judge's bench, claiming that they were manhandled by security forces outside the court and prevented from entering the courtroom.
The lawyers threatened to hold up the hearing until action was taken against the police officials that had allegedly manhandled them outside the court.
As a result of the racket, Judge Bashir decided to end court proceedings for the day and asked both defendants to leave the courtroom and return for the hearing on October 19.
While speaking to the media on her way out of the court Maryam Nawaz asked the interior ministry to come up with a strategy to keep such events from occurring in the future.
Once PML-N supporters and lawyers found out that the hearing has been adjourned the crowd dispersed.
On Thursday, Maryam left for Islamabad on a special plane to appear before the trial court, along with her husband, who has recently come under fire from several quarters, including his own party, for demanding that the government ban the Ahmadi community from government and military service.
On Oct 9, the accountability court in Islamabad observed that Sharif, Maryam Nawaz and Captain Safdar would be indicted on Oct 13 (today).
However, NAB Deputy Prosecutor General Chaudhry Khaliquz Zaman had told Dawn that Nawaz could not be indicted till he appeared in court. “Under the law a suspect cannot be charged in absentia,” he said.
It had also ordered NAB to initiate the process of declaring Sharif’s sons — Hassan and Hussain — proclaimed offenders, for consistently skipping court proceedings in the graft references pertaining to the Park Lane flats and the establishment of offshore companies.
NAB has given them 30 days (from Oct 11) to appear in court. During her three-day stay in Lahore, Maryam did not visit her Jati Umra residence but stayed at her son-in-law’s home on The Mall.
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