ISLAMABAD, FEB 15 (DNA) – The accountability court on Thursday rejected the pleas filed by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and family seeking exemption from appearance in corruption cases.

Judge Mohammad Bashir took up the cases, while accused, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his daughter, Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law, Captain (retd) Safdar appeared in the court.

The former prime minister and his family members, including Hasan and Hussain Nawaz have been nominated in three references filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) regarding Al-Azizia Steel Mills, Flagship Investment and Avenfield.

Nawaz and his son are accused in all three cases, while Maryam and Safdar are named in the London properties case.

Four witnesses are expected to record their statements in the Avenfield reference today.

The court is expected to give the ruling on pleas filed by Nawaz, Maryam and Safdar seeking exemption from the appearance from February 19 to March 5. The accused wanted to go to London to visit ailing Kulsoom Nawaz.

Put Names on ECL

On Wednesday, the NAB formally requested the Ministry of Interior to place the names of several members of Sharif family on the Exit Control List (ECL).

In a letter, the anti-corruption watchdog has requested to put the names of ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and Captain (r) Safdar in the ECL as “their trial is near to an end and it is feared that they will fly abroad”.

Supplementary References

The NAB Rawalpindi on Wednesday also filed two supplementary references against Nawaz, Hussain, and Hasan in the Al-Azizia Steel Mills and Flagship Investment and other offshore companies cases.