During a press conference on Wednesday, caretaker Minister for Information and Broadcasting Syed Ali Zafar clarified that the trials for Al Azizia Steel Mills and Flagship Investments references will be held in the accountability court building instead of Adiala jail, where Nawaz Sharif — who is named in both references — is imprisoned.
This is in contrast to the law ministry’s earlier notification, in which it had announced that the accountability court will conduct the trials for both references in Adiala jail. The announcement attracted strong protests from the PML-N, who termed it as “unconstitutional”.
In his presser today, Zafar said the decision to hold the trial of the corruption references in Adiala was taken in response to a letter written by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), in which the body requested the government to change the venue citing “security issues”. However, he insisted that the request was limited to one hearing, that was to be held one day after the arrival and arrest of Sharif and Maryam.
Zafar referred to Section 16 of the NAB Ordinance that allows the anti-corruption watchdog’s chairman, prosecutor and the accused to request the government to shift the venue of the trial elsewhere.
However, the federal government had today decided that the hearings for the corruption references will be held in the accountability court’s building, he said.
In case of a security threat, the Ministry of Interior could write to the cabinet requesting to change the venue of the trial.
Two hearings of the corruption references have been held since the law ministry’s notification; however, both of them have been held in the accountability court’s building. Sharif was not produced before the court in either of the hearings.
The law ministry has yet to formally withdraw its notification announcing that the trials will take place at Adiala jail.
