ISLAMABAD: On Thursday, the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) permitted former Supreme Court judge Justice (retd) Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi to cross-examine the witnesses after recording the statements of four more witnesses.
Chief Justice Qazi Faiz Isa presided over the SJC sessions, and Justice (retd) Naqvi’s attorney, Khawaja Haris, withdrew from supporting the council. Anyone could attend the SJC and cross-examine the witnesses during the public proceedings, according to the chief judge.
Seven witnesses have had their statements recorded by the SJC thus far. Abdul Ghaffar, a Deputy Military Estate Officer, testified under oath as the first prosecution witness on Thursday. The record of structures on the property was submitted by Kashif Shahzad, the Executive Officer of the Lahore cantonment.
Asif Uzair, the director of a private company that assessed the land’s value, made a recorded testimony as the third witness. Kashif Rehman, a director of a private land appraisal company, was the fourth witness.
After the witnesses’ statements, no one conducted a cross-examination. In the open sessions of the SJC, anyone was welcome to attend and cross-examine the witnesses, said the chief justice. The SJC deferred until Friday (today) and sent notice to the manager of the bank and an executive of a private housing association.
