SC clubs similar NAB cases and pleas

The Supreme Court on Tuesday clubbed together all cases and appeals pertaining to section 17-D of the National Accountability Ordinance.

A three member bench headed by Justice Umer Atta Bandial was hearing a petition filed by Arshad Khan, who faces a reference filed the country’s top anti-graft body, the National Accountability Bureau.

Tariq Mehmood, the lawyer for the petitioner, told the court that the maximum imprisonment sentence under the accountability law was 14 years. He asked as to whether a suspect would face 14 years’ imprisonment in each case if he was sentenced in five references. “It is an injustice with accused if this is the case,” he added.

Giving the reference of convicted former premier Nawaz Sharif’s case, he said the apex court at that time had ordered NAB to file three references. “Section 17-D of the National Accountability Ordinance should be interpreted.”

The NAB prosecutor requested the court to club all identical cases and appeals.

The top court fixed all appeals pertaining to Section 17-D of the National Accountability Ordinance for hearing in the first week of the next month.

Justice Mazahir Ali Naqvi remarked that a seven-member bench of the Supreme Court would hear the matter.

In Sharif’s case, deputy prosecutor general Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi had opposed the clubbing of the three references against him, pointing out that the Supreme Court had passed specific directions for filing of three references against the Sharif family and one against Finance Minister Ishaq Dar in its July 28 verdict.

He said that the Section 234 of the Criminal Procedure Code and Section 17-D of the NAO was for single accused where as in all the three references, there was a set of accused persons in each reference.

He said the references, including Flagship Investment Co, were related to the private firms established by Hassan Nawaz in the UK, Al-Azizia reference was about the companies owned by Hussain Nawaz in Saudi Arabia whereas the Avenfield Properties reference alleged all the Sharif family members of purchasing four flats in Park Lane, UK, without legitimate financial means.

(With input from APP)