Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Wednesday extended till June 9 the deadline for the accountability court to conclude trial in three graft references against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his family.

A two-member Supreme Court bench comprising Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed and Justice Ijazul Ahsan, after hearing the arguments of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) prosecutor, Khawaja Haris Ahmad, senior counsel for Nawaz Sharif and Amjad Pervez, counsel for Maryam Nawaz and Capt (r) Safdar, ruled that the trial should conclude by June 9.

“Why trial has not yet been concluded?” Justice Ijazul Ahsan, who is the monitoring judge of the corruption cases, asked. The NAB prosecutor stated that trial in one reference had almost completed. Justice Ijazul Ahsan noted that trial of graft reference against former finance minister Ishaq Dar was also pending.

To a query by Justice Ijazul Ahsan that had arguments completed in Avenfield reference and whether it could separately be decided, the prosecutor stated that testimonies of 18 witnesses had been recorded in the Avenfield reference. He said statements under Section 342 had yet to be recorded in the Avenfield reference.

Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed inquired from Khawaja Haris that when will trial complete? Khawaja Haris then stated that he did not come to the court for taking extension in the period set to conclude the trail, however three months more time would probably be appropriate to conclude the trial.

He stated that his request to club all the three references into one or at least two and their simultaneous trial was turned down by the accountability as well as superior courts. He said cross-examination also takes a good time, thus three months more time to conclude the trial was appropriate. “We cannot allow such a long time,” Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed noted. “Then our reservations should also be recorded,” Haris asserted. He said the holy month of Ramazan was ahead and during that month trial court would not be able to work for long time.

While extending the deadline till June 9, Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed observed, “We are not going anywhere and the counsel can come to us if trial doesn’t conclude by then.” He also observed that miscarriage of justice will not be allowed to take place, adding the rights of the accused will be safeguarded at all costs.

During the hearing, Amjad Pervez stated that a transparent trial demands that both the sides should be given equal time to present their case. He contended that the prosecution spent eight months on 18 witnesses, whereas he was not allowed equivalent time. “Rights of the accused will be safeguarded at all costs,” Justice Ijazul Ahsan assured.

Accountability Court Islamabad judge Muhammad Bashir had sought another extension to conclude the trial of three graft references against former premier Nawaz Sharif and his family members, as the deadline given to it by the apex court will be expiring on May 12.

The Supreme Court in its July 28, 2017, verdict in the Panama Papers case had disqualified former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and directed NAB to file three graft references against him and his family members.

Published in Daily Times, May 10^th 2018.