Court adjourns Al-Azizia reference against Sharifs

ISLAMABAD: An accountability court in Islamabad on Monday adjourned the hearing of Al-Azizia reference against former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and members of his family till Thursday.

Judge Muhammad Bashir allowed Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz three-day exemption from personal appearance in court due to the ill-health of Kulsoom Nawaz who is undergoing treatment in London.

The former premier’s lawyer Khawaja Haris moved an application seeking the exemption from personal appearance for his clients who are in London and set to return to the country on Friday.

A medical report of Kulsoom was also attached to the application.

It may be mentioned here that the deadline set for the accountability court to decide three NAB references against the Sharif family ends today.

Since it has decided the Avenfield reference, it would move an application in the Supreme Court seeking more time to decide the other two.

Last week, the former premier was awarded 10 years in prison in the Avenfield case, while his daughter and her spouse Capt. Safdar were handed seven years’ and one year’s prison term, respectively.

Judge Muhammad Bashir ordered forfeiture of their properties in the Avenfield Apartments and Park Lane of London. He imposed a fine of £8 million (approximately Rs1,292m) on the former premier and £2 million (approximately Rs323m) on his daughter.