Islamabad (Staff Report): The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday granted six more weeks to conclude proceedings against the Sharif family in the two references.
Earlier, the accountability court judge Mohammad Bashir had sought four weeks to wrap up the cases.
During the hearing of the case, Nawaz’s counsel Khawaja Haris argued before the court that the accountability court judge had already given a verdict in the Avenfield reference and should, therefore, separate himself from the two other references.
However, the bench was not convinced with the arguments of Haris and noted that it would be difficult for a new judge to the hear the case at this stage.
The chief justice remarked that he did not expect the case to be prejudiced by the judge who was currently conducting the proceedings.
The court granted six weeks to conclude the references.
On Friday, the court awarded ousted premier to 10 years and Maryam Nawaz to 7 years imprisonment in the Avenfield corruption reference, while Capt (retd) Safdar will also face one year jail term in the case.
Accountability Court-I Judge Mohammad Bashir announced the verdict.
Moreover, Nawaz and Maryam were also fined 8 and 2 million pounds respectively.
The court ordered to confiscate the property in question, suggesting the government to do legislation to bring plundered money back to the country.
Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Safdar have been in London since June 14 tending to Kulsoom Nawaz, who is under medical treatment there.
On Thursday, the representative of Nawaz Sharif, Zafar Khan submitted the plea in the court, asking the court to delay the verdict . The statement of the plea reads that he won’t be able to appear before the court on Friday, due to Kulsoom Nawaz’s critical health.
The court, on Tuesday, reserved its judgment in the Avenfield reference, which pertains to the Park Lane apartments (flats 16, 16-A, 17, and 17-A Avenfield House, Park Lane) of the Sharif family, involving Nawaz Sharif, his three children, and son-in-law Capt (r) Safdar as the accused.
Nawaz and his family are facing three corruption cases in the accountability court after the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) filed references against them in light of the Supreme Court's verdict in the Panama Papers case last year.
Nawaz and his sons, Hussain and Hasan, are accused in all three references whereas his daughter Maryam and son-in-law Safdar are accused in the Avenfield reference only.
Nawaz’s sons, Hasan and Hussain, have already been declared absconders in the case.
