Nawaz Sharif's lawyer steps down amid corruption cases

Former Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif's lawyer Khwaja Haris on Monday terminated his legal services to Nawaz and his family in corruption cases.

Nawaz and his family are facing three corruption cases filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

According to Geo News, the Supreme Court, headed by chief justice of Pakistan, Justice Mian Saqib Nisar had on Sunday directed the accountability court to announce its final decision in the cases within a month.

The court also rejected Haris' petitions seeking six weeks for the completion of the trial in the cases.

While announcing his decision to step down from the case today, Haris stated that the Supreme Court had 'dictated on completing the trial within a month, which was not possible.'

"As a professional lawyer, I think the arguments for all of the three references [against Nawaz and his family] could be presented together," Haris said in a written note to the Supreme Court.

He further said that the court's directive to work on Saturdays and Sundays and beyond court hours also made him to take the decision.

Sharif, his sons Hasan and Hussain, daughter Maryam, son-in-law Capt (retd) Mohammad Safdar and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar are facing multiple corruption references in the accountability court.

The trial for the corruption references had started on September 14, 2017. The cases filed against the Sharifs are in connection with the Al-Azizia Steel Mills and Hill Metal Establishment, offshore companies including Flagship Investment Ltd, and Avenfield properties of London.

While the Sharif and his sons are accused in all three cases, his daughter and son-in-law are involved only in the Avenfield reference.

The Pakistan Supreme Court had, on July 28 last year, disqualified Sharif from holding the office of the prime minister and asked the National Accountability Bureau to file references against the Sharif family in connection with corruption cases.