The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday ordered transferring Al-Azizia and Flagship Investment references against former premier Nawaz Sharif and his family to another court.
A two-member bench of the IHC, comprising Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, ordered transfer of the cases on Nawaz Sharif’s plea.
Nawaz’s legal counsel had filed an appeal requesting the court to transfer the Al-Azizia and Flagship Investment references from the court of Accountability Judge-I Mohammad Bashir to another accountability court.
The Sharif family had also petitioned against their convictions in the Avenfield reference. IHC had clubbed the two references, which were being heard by the two-member bench.
As the court began hearing the case, National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) Additional Deputy Prosecutor General Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi began presenting his arguments.
The prosecution contended that the defence had earlier requested for a joint testimony of witnesses in all three corruption references against the Sharif family. “The defence counsel cannot cross-examine joint witnesses,” Abbasi said.
The NAB prosecutor further noted that the statements of 342 accused persons in the case are yet to be recorded, adding, “The defence will have time to make its case during the proceedings.”
After the defence presented its arguments, the court reserved its verdict on the transfer petition.
Without hearing the plea against conviction of Captain (retired) Safdar Awan in the Avenfield reference, the court adjourned it till Wednesday (tomorrow). Nawaz and daughter Maryam’s plea against conviction in the same case was adjourned till Monday.
On July 6, an accountability court had sentenced Nawaz to a total of 11 years in prison and slapped a £8 million fine (Rs1.3 billion) in the corruption reference, while his daughter Maryam was sentenced to eight years with a £2 million fine (Rs335 million). Nawaz’s son-in-law Capt (retd) Safdar was also given a one-year sentence without any fine.
The Sharifs had challenged their convictions in the IHC, highlighting the legal flaws in the Avenfield case judgment and asking for the accountability court’s verdict to be declared null and void, and the three convicts be released on bail.
