Islamabad (Staff Report): The caretaker federal cabinet on Wednesday approved the open trial of deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif in the remaining two references filed against him by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
The cabinet met under the chair of Interim Prime Minister Justice (retd) Nasir-ul-Mulk, it took up the matter of reversing the notification issued by the Ministry of Law and Justice as per the NAB Ordinance.
Nawaz was sent to jail last week after his conviction in the Avenfield properties reference following which a notification was issued ordering the trial of the remaining two corruption references against him inside the jail premises.
Thus, the trial of the former premier in the Al Azizia and Flagship references will take place in the accountability court where it has been under way since last year. The next hearing of the cases is due on July 30.
The trio – convicted by an accountability court on July 6 in Avenfield Apartments case – filed two separate petitions against the trial court’s order, seeking suspension of sentences and transfer of the pending two NAB references to some other accountability court.
However, the IHC on Tuesday adjourned the hearing on their petitions till the end of this month, eliminating all chances of three members of the Sharif family, who are incarcerated in Rawalpindi’s famous Adiala Jail, to come out of their captivity before the election.
