ISLAMABAD, APR 03 (DNA) – An accountability court hearing Avenfield reference against former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz on Tuesday accepted their applications for exemption from hearing today.

Counsel for Nawaz and Maryam, Khawaja Harris told the court that both of his clients could not reach Islamabad from Lahore due to bad weather and thus be granted exemption from hearing.

NAB Court Judge Muhammad Bashir asked Harris if the third accused was present in the court to which he replied in the affirmative. The court then accepted the exemption pleas of Nawaz and Maryam and started hearing the case.

Sharif family’s counsel Khawaja Haris will contine cross examining the head of Joint Investigation Team, Wajid Zia’s statement.

During the previous hearings, Wajid Zia told that the team didn’t contact Jerry Freeman directly to confirm the authenticity of trust deed provided by Sharifs in Supreme Court (SC).

Hamid pointed out that per capita water availability had decreased in Pakistan due to rapid growth in population and depleting water storage capacity of the reservoirs because of the natural phenomenon of sedimentation.