Islamabad (August 27, 2018): The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Monday extended time deadline for 6 weeks to wrapup corruption references against Sharif family.
As the hearing went underway, the CJP asked to be briefed on the background of the case. “Till date I have not taken interest in this case or what the issue is,” he stated.
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Nawaz’s counsel Khawaja Harris briefed the chief justice and requested the top court to give the accountability court till December 15 to conclude the remaining two references.
However, the chief justice observed, “We cannot grant such a long extension.”
“We do not want to interfere in the accountability court’s trial,” Justice Nisar remarked and granted a six-week extension in the deadline.
Earlier on August 24, Judge Malik had submitted a written request to the Supreme Court seeking the fifth extension in Sharif’s trial.
A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Mian Saqib Nisar and comprising Justice Umar Ata Bandial and Justice Ijazul Ahsan heard the petition of the accountability court.
On July 6, accountability court Judge Mohammad Bashir had announced the verdict in the Avenfield properties corruption reference filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), handing the ousted prime minister 10 years as jail time and seven years to his daughter Maryam Nawaz.
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Background
The trial against the Sharif family commenced on September 14, 2017.
On July 6, after four extensions in the original six-month deadline to conclude all three cases, the court announced its verdict in the Avenfield reference.
Nawaz and his sons, Hussain and Hasan, are accused in all three references whereas Maryam and Safdar were accused in the Avenfield reference only.
The two brothers, based abroad, have been absconding since the proceedings began last year and were declared proclaimed offenders by the court.
On July 10, the Supreme Court granted another six-week extension for Accountability Court-I Judge Mohammad Bashir to conclude the remaining corruption references against Nawaz and former finance minister Ishaq Dar.
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