ISLAMABAD – An accountability court hearing the two corruption references against the Sharif family formally requested the Supreme Court for another extension in the deadline to conclude the cases filed by NAB.
Accountability Court Judge Arshad Malik has asked the apex court that the trial against Nawaz Sharif in Al-Azizia and Flagship Investment references is near conclusion.
‘It is not possible to complete the trial by the deadline given by the Supreme Court thus more time should be given,’ wrote the judge.
The letter further mentioned that the suspect was recording his statement in the Al-Azizia reference while arguments were being presented on the last witness’s statement in the Flagship Investment reference.
The Supreme Court had on October 12 granted the ‘final extension’ to the accountability court to conclude the remaining two corruption references against the Sharif family by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
https://en.dailypakistan.com.pk/headline/hussain-nawaz-statement-on-al-azizia-steel-mills-not-admissible-nawaz-sharif/
The apex court had granted NAB court deadline as November 17 for concluding Flagship Investment and Al-Azizia references.
Justice Nisar had remarked that the apex court will not grant further extensions to conclude the trial.
Up till now, six extensions to wrap up the corruption references initiated by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) have been granted by the apex court.
As many as three references have been filed against the former premier in line with the directives of the Supreme Court in the Panama Papers case verdict – a decision that ousted Nawaz Sharif from the PM House in July last year.
The accountability court judge Muhammad Bashir had sentenced elder Sharif to ten years in the Avenfield reference. However, a two-member bench of the Islamabad High Court had suspended the conviction.
NAB has moved supreme court against the decision of the Islamabad High Court which would hear the case on December 12.
Besides Sharif, Maryam Nawaz was sentenced to 7 years and Captain Safdar was sentenced to one year in prison in the Avenfield reference which pertains to the pricey flats of the former ruling family.
