Avenfield trial: Nawaz, family to record statements till Monday

Pakistan's former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, daughter Maryam and son-in-law Capt (retd) Safdar will be recording their statements by Monday in the London-based Avenfield reference trial, as the defence demanded more time to think over the questions sent by the accountability court.

The testimonies of the Sharifs could not be recorded on Friday, reported Geo TV.

On Thursday, a questionnaire comprising of 127 questions related to the Avenfield properties was handed over to the deposed PM and his family.

According to the report, Nawaz's counsel Khawaja Haris pleaded the court to delay the recording of statements until Monday so that they could buy time to go through 127 questions.

Accountability Judge Mohammad Bashir approved the plea, however, has made it clear that the recording of statements will not be delayed further than Monday.

Sharif, his sons Hasan and Hussain, daughter Maryam, son-in-law Capt (retd) Mohammad Safdar and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar are facing multiple corruption references in the accountability court.

The Pakistan Supreme Court had, on July 28, disqualified Sharif from holding the office of the prime minister and asked the National Accountability Bureau to file references against the Sharif family in connection with corruption cases against them.

On the orders of the country's Supreme Court, a JIT was formed last year to probe the allegations on the Sharif family.