ISLAMABAD: In an in-chamber hearing, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar on Wednesday once again rejected a plea by ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif seeking to club all the three corruption references against him. The Supreme Court had disqualified Nawaz Sharif as prime minister in its July 28, 2017, verdict in the Panama Papers case and directed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to file corruption references against him and his family members within six weeks and the accountability court to wrap up these references within six months. Nawaz Sharif had filed a petition in the apex court seeking to club all the three graft references against him into one. However, his plea was rejected by the Supreme Court registrar office on technical grounds. Sharif then filed an appeal in the apex court against the registrar’s decision, which was also rejected by the CJP during an in-chamber hearing on November 16, 2017. Nawaz Sharif then filed another appeal in the Supreme Court on December 2, 2017, requesting the court to consider his request and club all the three references into one or at least into two, which was also dismissed on Wednesday. In compliance with the Supreme Court’s orders, NAB had filed three corruption references against Nawaz Sharif and his family members in the accountability court, where proceedings are already in progress. These references are: Al Azizia Steel Mills and Hill Metals Establishment, Avenfield properties London, and offshore companies including Flagship Investment Ltd. Published in Daily Times, February 22nd 2018.