–Advocate Tarar says accountability court had noted similarities between Azizia Steel Mills and Flagship Investment references
–IHC adjourns hearing of plea till 23rd
ISLAMABAD: The counsel of ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Monday told the Islamabad High Court (IHC) that similarities have been observed between the Azizia Steel Mills and Flagship Investment references, therefore they should be combined into one reference.
A two-member bench of the IHC was hearing a petition filed by the former premier challenging an accountability court’s decision against clubbing three corruption references against Nawaz into one.
Advocate Azam Nazir Tarar told the bench that an accountability court had noted the similarities between the references, arguing that at least these two references should be combined.
The lawyer pointed out that the references list the same three individuals as accused and added that six out of 13 witnesses in both references were also the same.
“If the witnesses appear over and over again [before the accountability court] to record their testimonies, my defence will be exposed,” Advocate Tarar said.
The lawyer told the bench that the accountability court had decided against clubbing the three references ─ Avenfield, Azizia Steel Mills and Flagship Investment ─ without waiting for the IHC’s verdict on the matter.
Tarar told the court that the petition submitted by the former premier in the Supreme Court held a different request. He added that in the apex court, the chief justice had maintained the registrar office’s objections to the petition ─ that the petitioner had already exhausted all legal remedies up to the SC and had not approached any other appropriate forum available to him under the law for the same relief ─ and rejected hi client’s appeal.
The lawyer further argued that the references were filed in light of the apex court’s verdict in the Panama Papers case. “Nowhere in the verdict did it say that this is a special case with special rules,” Tarar said, adding that in the Khanani and Kalia case, there were different transactions but one case was filed.
The court said that the matter pertaining to similarities between the Azizia Steel Mills and Flagship Investment references will be taken up at the next hearing of the case.
“We will have to see on what grounds the accountability court dismissed the request to combine the references,” the court said, adjourning the hearing until Nov 23.
The ousted PM and his family face three corruption references filed against them by NAB on the orders of the apex court, which had disqualified Nawaz in its July 28 Panama Papers verdict. The references pertain to Sharif family’s London flats, Flagship Investment Ltd and Al Azizia & Hill Metal Establishment.
Rejecting all corruption charges against him, Nawaz Sharif had pleaded not guilty and opted to contest them.
Godfather filed cases against Musharraf as revenge so that Musharraf keep going to court, like he did with BB, now he and his family receive the same punishment of going to courts everyday. What goes around comes around
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