Nawaz answers 44 court questions in Al-Azizia Steel Mills case

ISLAMABAD: Former Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif Wednesday submitted answers of 44 questions against the accountability court's questionnaire in Al-Azizia Steel Mills corruption reference.

However, the court handed over the accused another questionnaire comprising more101 questions in the same corruption reference filed by National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

Accountability Court Judge Muhammad Arshad Malik conducted the hearing of Al-Azizia Steel Mills case against Sharif family wherein the accused Nawaz Sharif also appeared to record his statement under section 342.

During the course of proceeding, the court summoned the accused Nawaz Sharif in person on the rostrum to record his statement.

Answering the court queries, the deposed prime minister admitted that it was correct that he had held several public offices in different tenures including prime minister, chief minister, finance minister and opposition leader.

He, however, said he did not hold any public office from 1999 to 2013 as he was in exile from 2000 to 2007.

Nawaz said he didn't say during his address to the nation that he had any connection with Al-Azizia Steel Mills, adding that his statement in National Assembly regarding the establishment of mill was not based on his personal information rather he depended on the information collected from Hassan Nawaz.

Nawaz Sharif said he didn't know about the assets of con-accused during 2000-1, saying that he was the owner of assets worth Rs12,767,672. He admitted that the money was transferred to his account by Hussain Nawaz in dollars and euro currency.

He said he had never been an owner of Hill Metal, Gulf Steel Mill, Dubai factory and Al-Azizia Steel Mills in past.

He had no connection with sale agreement of Gulf Steel Mills, adding that Al-Azizia Steel Mills was established by his father.

His father Mian Sharif till his death had been an influential person in his family, he said, adding that he had no connection with his family business.

The accused said the transcript of his address in National Assembly could not be presented before any court as evidence under Article 66 of Constitution, adding that speech was based on some documents.

Nawaz’s counsel Khawaja Haris objected to some questions listed in the questionnaire saying that some of the questions were based on rumors while a few others were ambiguous in nature.

After submitting his answers to 44 questions, Nawaz requested the court to allow him to answer five other questions after consultation with his lawyers.

Later, the court adjourned the hearing of the case till Thursday, wherein Nawaz Sharif would continue recording his statement in remaining questions.