Daily Times

The accountability court on Wednesday adjourned the hearing of remaining two corruption references against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif till July 30 as the defence counsel refused to participate in the trial until Islamabad High Court (IHC) passes its judgement on a petition pertaining to transferring the case to another court.

Accountability Court-I Judge Mohammad Bashir resumed hearing the Al Azizia and Flagship corruption references against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday. As the hearing went under way, Nawaz’s counsel Khawaja Haris reiterated his objection to the proceedings being heard by the same judge that has already ruled in one of the three corruption cases against his client. The judge remarked that he has written about the matter to the high court, adding that transferring the case to another court does not come under his jurisdiction. NAB Deputy Prosecutor General Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi argued that the Islamabad High Court (IHC) has not issued any stay order on the trial proceedings and called for continuation of the cases. He added that it would be appropriate if the same judge who has overseen the case since day one presides over the trial in its concluding phase.

With regards to conducting the trial inside the jail, the judge observed that it is not a simple matter where one can just pick up everything and start hearing the case inside the jail. Haris claimed that the objective behind the jail trial is simple: to prevent his client from being seen or heard before the July 25 election. Haris also stated that they would not become part of the proceedings until the IHC rules on their plea to transfer the case to another trial court. The hearing was then adjourned until July 30.

Published in Daily Times, July 19^th 2018.