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He is repeating what his lawyer saidNawaz denies ownership of Avenfield flats while recording statement in accountability court
Malik Asad | Mohammad ImranUpdated May 21, 2018
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Ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif, while recording his statement in the Avenfield reference before the accountability court in Islamabad on Monday, denied ownership of the London properties and told the court that he had not been privy to any transactions for the acquisition of the properties.
The ousted prime minister, his daughter Maryam Nawaz, and son-in-law retired Captain Muhammad Safdar, have been asked to record final statements in their defence under Section 342 of the Criminal Procedure Code and to produce, on record, anything contradicting the statements of the 19 prosecution witnesses in the case.
Nawaz's statement is a response to a questionnaire comprising 128 questions, which was handed to his lawyer by the accountability judge on May 16. According to the questionnaire, the court has asked Nawaz if he was the benami owner of Nescoll and Nielsen, the two offshore companies that were shown as having ownership of the Avenfield flats.
Read more: PML-N papers: Purchase of London flats and the Al-Thani connection
Testifying before the court today, Nawaz said, "I was never involved in or associated with the acquisition of the London properties through any real or beneficial title."
Regarding the money trail of the London properties, Nawaz said, "I have never been a participant in or eyewitness to any of the transactions mentioned in Tariq Shafi's affidavit."
Shafi, a relative of Nawaz, in his affidavit claimed that he deposited 12 million dirhams in cash with the Qatari ruling family following the sale of the Gulf Steel Mills in 1980.
In the affidavit dated Jan 20, 2017, which was also part of the concise statement submitted by Hussain Nawaz, Shafi stated that he had deposited the massive sum with Sheikh Fahad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al-Thani of Qatar, after receiving each instalment from Mohammad Abdullah Kayed Ahli.
Read more: PM’s cousin gave 12m dirhams to Qatari ruling family
During his testimony, Nawaz said that he could not say anything about the documents his son Hussain had submitted in the apex court with regard to the London apartments.
Hussain is also accused in this case but has been absconding since the trial began.
During his testimony, Nawaz expressed his reservations over the formation of the Panamagate Joint Investigation Team (JIT) and the selection of its six members.
He claimed that the JIT head, Wajid Zia, had hired his own close relative to "produce fabricated evidence" against the Sharif family.
Nawaz also said in court that Bilal Rasool, another member of the JIT, is a close relative of former Lahore mayor Mian Azhar, while State Bank of Pakistan's Amer Aziz was also a part of the investigation of the Hudaibiya Paper mills reference — which was quashed by the the Lahore High Court.
Regarding the appointments of Brigadier Nouman Saeed of the Inter-Services Intelligence and Brigadier Kamran Khursheed of the Military Intelligence to the JIT, Nawaz said, "Their appointments were inappropriate with the obvious fallout on the JIT proceedings, given the civil-military tension that has plagued the country throughout its 70 year history."
Read more: Profiles of JIT members
Nawaz also said that during the course of the JIT probe and the filing of the references, he was not given the right to a free trial as enshrined in Article 10A of the Constitution.
The ousted premier, during his testimony, said the prosecution could not produce any evidence that links him to the London flats.
Moving on to questions regarding the Gulf Steel Mills, Nawaz said that he does not directly know where the funds for the creation of the factory came from. "However, Tariq Shafi's statement suggests that the Gulf Steel Mills were created through loans."
During the hearing Nawaz testified that he was not a witness of how the establishment ran and then sold the Gulf Steel Mills. He added that his knowledge about the matter was based on hearsay.
"Tariq Shafi was neither named a suspect in these trials, nor was he called in as a witness in the case," Nawaz said during his testimony.
"It is a reality that I was taken into custody on October 12, 1999. After that I was sent off to Saudi Arabia," Nawaz said, adding that he is aware that his father Mian Sharif had made Hussain and Maryam Nawaz directors of Hudaibiya Paper Mills.
"I also know that Hassan Nawaz was made a shareholder in the Hudaibiya Paper Mills by my deceased father," he added.
Responding a question regarding his address to the nation and his speech on the floor of the National Assembly, Nawaz said,"I never stated on those occasions that I was ever a real or beneficial owner of the London flats. Rather, it has always been my constant stance that I was neither a real or benami owner of the Avenfield flats."
In response to a question related to forensic expert Robert M. Radley, Nawaz said that Radley was not a "font expert" and he had admitted in his statement that the Calibri font was available prior to its launch in 2007.
The hearing has been adjourned till Tuesday, May 22.
While deciding on the petition of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan and others on July 28, 2017 the Supreme Court had ordered the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to prepare three references regarding the Avenfield properties, Al-Azizia Steel Mills and Flagship Investment Co for the trial of Nawaz and his relatives in the accountability court.
This is a developing story that is being updated as the situation evolves. Initial reports in the media can sometimes be inaccurate. We will strive to ensure timeliness and accuracy by relying on credible sources such as concerned, qualified authorities and our staff reporters.
Btw ye wohi jit nahi jis key ban, ney par bhangrey aur mithayiyan khai gayi thien?
Irrelevant idiosyncrasies as usual 
