Accountability court writes to SC for another extension

Judge Arshad Malik says it is not possible to complete the trial in the given deadline

ISLAMABAD: An accountability court on Friday wrote a letter to the Supreme Court for another extension in the deadline to conclude the remaining two references against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

The accountability court Judge Arshad Malik in the letter to the SC registrar wrote that the trial in the two references pertaining to Al-Azizia Steel Mills and Flagship Investment was near to conclusion.

The letter stated that the trial proceedings could not be completed in a given time period by the Supreme Court and sought an extension to wrap up the case.

It further read that the accused Nawaz Sharif was recording his statement in the Al-Azizia Steel Mills reference while cross-examining was being conducted on the last witness's statement in the Flagship Investment reference. The Supreme Court had earlier on October 12 granted the 6^th extension to the accountability court to complete the trial against the former premier in the two corruption references.



A bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar had granted the sixth and last extension in the trial period of Nawaz Sharif.

The CJP while granting a six-week extension had said that it was the last one for the accountability court to wind up the trial proceedings. He had warned that the judge would be responsible if matters were not decided within the deadline.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had filed three references against the Sharif family in light of the July 28, 2017 verdict that disqualified Nawaz Sharif from the office of prime minister.

A reference pertaining to the Sharif family’s Avenfield properties in London had been decided while Al-Azizia and Flagship Investment references are pending disposal.

On July 6, an accountability court had sentenced Nawaz to a total of eleven years in prison and imposed a £8 million fine in the corruption reference. His daughter Maryam was sentenced to eight years with a £2 million fine while his son in law retired Captain Safdar was given a one-year sentence.