Sharif family's accountability hearing adjourned till next week

An accountability hearing against ousted Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law, Captain Safdar (retired), was adjourned on Friday with the next hearing slated for November 7, the media reported.

Friday's development comes after an order passed on Thursday by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) regarding the clubbing of three references against the Sharif family could not be procured by the court in time, reports Dawn news.

This was the first time Sharif, Maryam and Safdar were present in court together.

The disqualified Prime Minister arrived in Islamabad from London on Thursday. It was also the first trial hearing Sharif appeared for after the three were indicted by the accountability court on October 19.

As the hearing began on Friday, Sharif's lawyer Khawaja Haris filed a fresh application for the clubbing of the three accountability references naming the former leader.

Haris had approached the IHC on Thursday requesting the clubbing together of the references.

The court accepted the petition and requested the accountability court to provide a long order explaining the legal reasons behind its decision not to club the three references together, reports Dawn news.

The Sharif family is facing trial in connection with references filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) pertaining to the London apartments, the Al-Azizia Steel Mills and Hill Metal Establishment.

The three accused has pleaded not guilty to the charges. Sharif's sons Hassan and Hussain Nawaz were named co-accused in the charge sheet in the references.

A five-member bench of the Supreme Court on July 28 had directed NAB to file references against Nawaz and his children in six weeks in the accountability court and directed the trial court to decide the references within six months.

Sharif and his sons have been named in all three NAB references, while Maryam and husband Safdar have been named only in the London reference.

--IANS

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