LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz on Saturday revealed a video clip whereby accountability judge Arshad Malik could be heard saying that there was “no proof of corruption against the deposed premier” in the December 24 Al-Azizia reference.
While addressing a joint press conference along with PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and others, Maryam Nawaz claimed that the accountability judge was coerced into delivering the Al-Azizia verdict against Nawaz Sharif. She further alleged that certain individuals showed the judge a personal video after which he relented to their demand.
The video clip played at the press conference revealed a meeting between a party worker Nasir Butt and the accountability judge.
“No evidence that a single penny has been shifted from Pakistan. No evidence of shifting any money by accused from Pakistan,” Maryam translated the judge as saying from the video. “No evidence of any embezzlement of funds by Hussain in Pakistan or Saudi Arabia,” she further quoted the judge from the video. “No link between Nawaz and the properties in London,” Maryam quoted judge Malik as saying.
In December, an accountability court sentenced former prime minister Nawaz Sharif to seven-year rigorous imprisonment after it found him guilty in Al-Azizia reference, one of the three graft cases filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in line with the apex court order.
The Supreme Court on July 28, 2017, disqualified Nawaz in Panama Papers case and ordered NAB to file separate cases which were respectively called Avenfiled, Al-Azizia and Flagship references.
Judge Muhammad Arshad Malik had acquitted Sharif in Flagship reference.
The former premier and his family members have already been convicted in Avenfield case. However, the accountability court judge Muhammad Arshad Malik on Monday acquitted Sharif in Flagship reference.
