ISLAMABAD, DEC 20 (DNA) – More than three months have passed since the Sharif family’s trial in an accountability court began, but the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has yet to submit original or certified copies of the report compiled by the Panamagate Joint Investigation Team (JIT).

So far, the trial had been conducted on the basis of unattested photocopies of the JIT report. Sharif’s lawyer Khawaja Haris pointed out during a hearing on Tuesday since the record presented by the prosecution was not original, it was inadmissible in the court as per law.

Amjad Pervaiz, another defence counsel, informed the accountability court that the NAB obtained documents “for filing of reference only” and now it was for the court to decide whether the record was admissible or not.

The requisition form through which the NAB had requested the Supreme Court to hand over the JIT report and other documents carries an application seeking “short leave for urgent work” on the back of it along with words “Criminal Branch” and date “November 16, 2016”.

Additional Director (Coord) Operations Division Shakeel Anjum Nagra, who recorded his statement on Tuesday, said he received attested/certified copies of the JIT report from the Supreme Court and handed them over to the NAB.

When cross-examined, the witness admitted that the NAB’s prosecution department submitted requisition form in the apex court which was later returned, adding that the top court had directed for filing an application for obtaining the record.

It was, however, not mentioned on the form that the NAB request for obtaining documents was rejected or the NAB should file a separate application for obtaining them.