LAHORE: The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Sunday gave one more month to the accountability court hearing corruption references against former premier Nawaz Sharif, his daughter and son-in-law to complete the proceedings.
Headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar a bench of the apex court took up an application filed by the accountability judge seeking an extension in the time frame to complete the trial proceedings.
Sharif’s counsel Khawaja Haris and a NAB lawyer appeared before the bench today.
During hearing at the top court’s Lahore registry, Haris made a request that the trial court should be given at least six weeks to wrap up the proceedings. The bench, however, turned down his plea.
The chief justice said the cases should be decided now without any further delay and directed the court to hear the references even on Saturdays, if need be.
He further said if the former premier and his daughter want to go abroad to see ailing Kulsoom Nawaz, they can proceed and asked the lawyer to submit a request in this regard.
The latest deadline for conclusion of the trial proceedings against the Sharif family lapsed a day earlier.
In March, the top court had extended the deadline for two months to complete the proceedings after the trial court couldn’t decide the cases in the stipulated time despite day-to-day hearings.
On May 09, the top court had granted a third extension to conclude the trial until June 09.
The trial of Mr. Sharif and members of his family in the three references filed against them in compliance with the July 28, 2017 verdict has entered the final stage.
On Monday, the defence lawyer is expected to cross-examine star prosecution witness Wajid Zia, head of the Panama Joint Investigation Team (JIT), in Al-Azizia & Hill Metal Establishment reference.
Whereas, NAB Deputy Prosecutor General Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi has concluded his final arguments in the Avenfield properties case. Defence counsel Khawaja Haris and Amjad Pervez will forward their arguments when the court resumes hearing of the reference on Tuesday.
