ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has recommended a three-year extension in the tenure of the accountability judge who is conducting the Panama case proceedings.
According to reports, the IHC has sent a summary to the Law Ministry to extend the serving period for Judge Muhammad Bashir, who has been an accountability court judge, by almost three years. Bashir’s tenure as an accountability court judge ends on March 12.
Last week, on Wednesday, the judge had rejected Sharif family’s plea for exemption from appearance in the court.
The family had cited illness of Kulsoom Nawaz, the ousted premier’s wife, and requested to exempt them from appearing before from the court. However, as per the NAB court’s order, illness of one’s wife is not reason enough to skip a hearing.
The Sharif family is under investigation over three references filed in the Flagship Investments, and Al Azizia and Hill Metal Establishment cases.
The top court disqualified Nawaz Sharif in a landmark judgement in Panama Papers case in July last year. The court had also ordered National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to file references in against the Sharif family in the accountability court.