Daily Times

An accountability court on Friday again adjourned the hearing of Al-Azizia and Flagship references against the Sharif family for the third time.

The hearing of corruption references involving former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his sons was adjourned until August 7.

The reason behind the third consecutive adjournment of cases without any proceedings is judge Muhammad Bashir’s decision to put off the hearing unless the Islamabad High Court (IHC) announces its verdict on the Sharif family’s plea for transfer of both the cases to another accountability court.

Nawaz Sharif had petitioned the IHC to transfer Al-Azizia and Flagship cases to another accountability judge citing that judge Muhammad Bashir had already given his verdict in the Avenfield case against the Sharif family, hence the impartiality of court proceeding may get affected if the same judge adjudicates the remaining references.

A day earlier, a bench of IHC comprising Justice Amir Farooq and Justice Gul Hasan Aurangzaib heard Nawaz’s appeal for transfer of cases to another accountability court. The accountability court had earlier rejected the request for transferring references to another accountability court.

Published in Daily Times, August 4^th 2018.