ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Wednesday gave a two-month extension in the deadline for conclusion of corruption cases against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his family. The court also extended the deadline by three months of the assets accumulation case against former finance minister Senator Ishaq Dar.
On July 28 last year, the Supreme Court had disqualified Nawaz and given a six-month deadline to the accountability court to complete the trial against the Sharif family. The court had ordered proceedings against Dar with the same deadline that ends on March 13.
Then, NAB requested the apex court for an extension in the deadlines. A special bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan, heard the plea on Wednesday.
During the hearing, Justice Ijazul Ahsan, who was appointed the monitoring judge of the cases, observed that the lower court judge did not inform him of the time needed to complete the proceedings. NAB officials informed the court that two months were needed in the Dar case, whereas more than a month would be required to complete the Sharif family cases.
The apex court was informed that 11 of 18 witnesses have recorded their statements in reference number 18; 12 of 27 witnesses are yet to record their statements in reference number 19; and only three of 18 are yet to record their statements in reference number 20. During the hearing, Justice Ahsan inquired how Dar could be re-elected as a senator when he was declared an absconding in a court case. The trial against the Sharif family had started on September 14, 2017. The references filed against the Sharif family pertain to Al-Azizia Steel Mills and Hill Metal Establishment, offshore companies including Flagship Investment Ltd, and Avenfield properties of London. Nawaz and his sons Hussain and Hasan are accused in all three references whereas his daughter Maryam and son-in-law MNA Capt (retd) Safdar are accused in the Avenfield reference.
Published in Daily Times, March 8th 2018.
