ISLAMABAD, June 22: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) dismissed on Friday former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s petition seeking a simultaneous verdict on the three corruption cases against him.
Justices Mohsin Akhtar Kayani and Aamer Farooq announced the verdict today after having reserved their decision on Thursday (yesterday).
The National Accountability Bureau had filed three references against Nawaz and his family in the accountability court of Islamabad last year after the Supreme Court’s judgment in the Panama Papers case.
The bench ruled that Nawaz’s counsel has already started his final arguments in the Avenfield reference and thus the plea is infructuous.
During Thursday’s proceedings in the high court, Azam Nazir Tarrar and Amjad Pervez appeared on behalf of Sharif family.
Nazir contended that this is the first case in history where the petitioner has not used delaying tactics. He said recording separate testimony of witnesses common to the three cases is depriving his client of his fundamental rights.
During the proceedings, NAB prosecutor Sardar Muzaffar argued that defence lawyer Khawaja Haris had already started presenting arguments in one reference, therefore, the petition in the high court has become invalid.
He further said that all of the three references were independent, adding that the complete arguments for one reference had already been presented before the accountability court.
Earlier on June 5, the accountability court had dismissed Nawaz’s petition for final arguments in all the three references against the Sharif family to be heard together. Accountability Judge Muhammad Bashir had remarked that the petitioner may challenge the verdict in the high court, adding that till that time the cross-examination of NAB’s star witness Wajid Zia would continue.-Agencies
