NAB moves SC against IHC order to transfer Sharifs’ cases

ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) challenged on Saturday in the Supreme Court the Islamabad High Court (IHC) order transferring remaining corruption references against the Sharif family to another accountability court.

The NAB chairman through its Prosecutor General filed a criminal petition for leave to appeal under Article 185(3) of the Constitution against the order passed by the IHC on August 7, 2018.

The IHC division bench comprising Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb had allowed former prime minister’s application that sought court’s help to transfer remaining references from Accountability Court Judge Muhammad Bashir’s court to any other court.

The NAB prayed to the apex court to set aside the IHC verdict and judge Muhammad Bashir of Accountability Court No 1 be allowed to continue hearing the remaining two corruption references — Al-Azizia and Hill Metal Establishment and Flagship and other companies. On July 6, the accountability court judge No 1 Muhammad Bashir convicted former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, daughter Maryam and her spouse Captain (retd) Muhammad Safdar and awarded sentence of 10 years, seven years and two years, respectively in Avenfiled reference.

Avenfield corruption reference related to the purchase of four flats in Avenfield House, Park Lane, London, was among the three cases filed by the NAB against the former premier and his children on the Supreme Court's orders in its landmark judgment delivered last year in Panamagate case.

Nawaz Sharif through his counsel Khawaja Haris had requested the IHC to transfer the remaining corruption references to another accountability court.

Khawaja Haris during his arguments before the IHC had contended that the NAB’s references against Sharif family had a common witness, JIT head Wajid Zia, while the presiding judge of the accountability court had already disclosed his opinion on crucial aspects in all three references.