Daily Times

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday reserved its verdict on a petition by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif to club together the decision on all three NAB references against him.

Nawaz and his family members are facing three corruption references in the accountability court – Avenfield Properties, Al-Azizia Steel Mills and Flagship Investments – in which they are accused of money laundering, tax evasion and hiding offshore assets. The former prime minister had filed petition in the IHC that the accountability court announce combined verdict in all three corruption references as decided by it earlier on November 8, 2017.

A bench comprising Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Moshin Akhtar Kayani heard the case.

Lawyers Azam Nazir Tarrar and Amjad Pervez appeared on behalf of Sharif family. Nazir contended that this is the first case in history where the petitioner has not used delaying tactics. He said recording separate testimony of witnesses common to the three cases is tantamount to depriving his client of his fundamental rights.

During the proceedings, NAB Prosecutor Sardar Muzaffar argued that defence lawyer Khawaja Haris had already started presenting arguments in one reference, therefore the petition in the high court has become invalid. He said that all the three references were independent, adding that the complete arguments for one reference had already been presented before the accountability court.

Earlier on June 5, the accountability court had dismissed Nawaz Sharif’s petition contending that final arguments in all three references against the Sharif family be heard together. Judge Muhammad Bashir had remarked that the petitioner may challenge the verdict in the high court, adding that till that time the cross-examination of NAB’s witness Wajid Zia would continue.

Published in Daily Times, June 22^nd 2018.