Sharif family cases

IHC transfers pending reference to other court

By Obaid Abrar Khan

ISLAMABAD: A division bench of Islamabad High Court (IHC) issued a detailed judgment in the matter where former PM Nawaz Sharif had been seeking to transfer the two pending references to some other accountability court other than the one which convicted him in Avenfield apartment corruption reference.

Last day, the court had accepted Nawaz application transferring Al-Azizia /Hill metal establishment and Flagship Investments corruption reference to accountability court number-2. In detailed judgment, IHC division bench also considered the discomfort of Accountability Court No-1 Judge Muhammad Bashir. However, the detailed reasoning of the order is yet to come.

Nawaz Sharif in his application had contended that since the Accountability Court No-1 judge by convicting him, his daughter and son-in-law had disclosed his mind therefore the two other references should be heard by someone else.

Nawaz Sharif had contended that all the three references are similar in nature emanating from the same set of allegations therefore if the judge has convicted him in one reference, there is possibility that the decision in the two other shall be the same. NAB prosecutor opposing the application had contended that transfer of the cases would set a bad precedent. IHC bench while deciding the application has also considered the discomfort of Judge Muhammad Bashir through an application to the registrar that mentioned his inability to further continue with the proceeding.