ISLAMABAD: Nawaz Sharif’s counsels on Friday urged an accountability court in Islamabad to take notice of Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry’s statement claiming that the former prime minister will be imprisoned again.
Accountability Court Judge Arshad Malik heard the Flagship Investment reference against the former prime minister. As the hearing started, Nawaz’s counsel Advocate Zubair Khalid said, “A minister has said that the former prime minister will 100 per cent go to the prison again. The case’s decision is about to be announced, and how does he know that Nawaz will be sentenced?” He contended that a notice be issued to the information minister and he be summoned in the court to explain his statement. “If a notice is not taken regarding the statement, the court’s credibility will be damaged,” he asserted.
“Did the minister make a general comment or refer to the court?” the judge asked. “In a murder case, the suspects were claiming that they will be acquitted, but I said that no matter what suspects say the decision lies with the court,” the judge remarked. Directing Nawaz’s counsel to submit a request in this regard, the judge asked him to continue presenting his arguments in the case. “We will see what to do with the minister’s statement,” he added.
Senior counsel Khawaja Haris also urged the court to take notice of Fawad Chaudhry’s statement. “A transcript of his statement should be summoned,” he said. The judge said that the newspaper report regarding minister’s statement be made part of the request. “If a notice needs to be issued to Chaudhry, the court will do,” he added.
Published in Daily Times, October 27th 2018.
