Islamabad (Staff Report): The Supreme Court (SC) on Friday directed an accountability court to conclude the corruption references against the Sharif family by December 24.
Accountability Court Judge Arshad Malik who has been hearing the Al-Azizia and Flagship Investment references against the former PM wrote a letter to the top court and sought an extension in the deadline to conclude the cases.
A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Mian Saqib Nisar heard the accountability court judge's petition.
The top court fixed the AC’s petition for immediate hearing and summoned former PM’s lawyer Khawaja Haris.
During the hearing, the CJP asked the counsel for Nawaz Sharif Khawaja Haris that he should conclude the arguments by December 17 as this was the eighth extension granted to NAB court in this regard.
The court then directed Haris to complete his arguments by 4pm on December 17 and ordered the accountability court to announce a decision by December 24.
On November 19, the SC had granted three weeks to the accountability court to conclude the Al-Azizia reference filed by NAB against the former PM.
As many as three references have been filed against the former premier in line with the directives of the Supreme Court in the Panama Papers case verdict, a decision that ousted Nawaz Sharif from the PM House in July last year.
On July 6, the accountability court awarded ousted premier to 10 years and Maryam Nawaz to 7 years imprisonment in the Avenfield corruption reference, while Capt (retd) Safdar was handed one year jail term in the case.
The court ordered to confiscate the property in question, suggesting the government to do legislation to bring plundered money back to the country.