Federal govt approves extension of accountability judge hearing cases against Sharif family

ISLAMABAD: The federal government extended on Thursday tenure of District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Bashir as accountability court judge for a period of three years with immediate effect.

According to a notification issued by the Ministry of Law and Justice, Judge Muhammad Bashir will now retire on March 12, 2021.

The move comes a day after Supreme Court (SC) took suo motu notice of the delay in reappointment of the accountability court judge, who is hearing the Panamagate case against Sharif family.

A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar, heard on Wednesday an application pertaining to extension in tenure of accountability court judge Muhammad Bashir.

On Tuesday, an accountability court, hearing corruption references against the Sharif family and former finance minister Ishaq Dar, requested the Supreme Court to extend time period for the ongoing trials, arguing that they cannot be concluded within the six-month time set by the apex court.

A source privy to the development said Judge Bashir had sent a letter to the apex court which had directed the trial court to decide within six months the references against former PM Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz, son in-law Captain (retd) Safdar, sons Hasan and Husain Nawaz as well as Dar.