ISLAMABAD – The Supreme Court of Pakistan granted three weeks to the accountability court to conclude the Al-Azizia reference filed against the former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his family members.
A two-member bench headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar heard the plea filed by Judge Arshad Malik, on Monday.
“After this, more time will not be given to conclude the Al-Azizia reference trial,” Justice Nisar remarked while granting three weeks to complete the trial.
The Supreme Court in the Panamagate verdict had directed the accountability court to open references against former premier Nawaz Sharif and his family with special instructions to wrap up the references within six months.
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The National Accountability Bureau had filed the references before the court in September 2017. When the SC-instructed six-month deadline expired in March 2018, a two-month extension was granted.
Moreover, the top court had added another month to the deadline last month on the request of the accountability court thus setting June 9th as the final deadline.
The ‘final’ extension had bound the NAB court to wind up the references by November 17th, however, the judge sought more time.
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, the conviction was suspended by a two-member bench of the Islamabad High Court.
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.
