ISLAMABAD: The law secretary informed the Supreme Court on Wednesday that the term of Accountability Court-I Judge Mohammad Bashir, who is hearing corruption references against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, will be extended before its expiry.
The assurance came after the apex court took notice of the government’s failure to extend the judge’s tenure.
Taking notice, Chief Justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar had summoned the law secretary to explain what the government is doing about the matter as the Islamabad High Court (IHC) has requested the law ministry for an extension in the judge’s tenure.
Appearing in court, the law secretary informed the apex court that the summary for the extension has been forwarded to the Prime Minister’s Secretariat and will be approved in a few days.
The court then ordered the law secretary to inform it of the progress on March 10.
Judge Bashir was appointed to the accountability court in 2012. In 2015, the federal government, on recommendations of the IHC, extended his tenure for three years.
Judge Bashir has been conducting the proceedings since September last year, when the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) filed three corruption references against Nawaz and his family and one against then-finance minister Ishaq Dar in light of the Supreme Court’s verdict in the Panama Papers case.
Since September 2017, Justice Mohammad Bashir is hearing London flats, Al-Azizia Steel Mills and Flagship Investment references against ex-prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law Captain (r) Safdar and also leading assets beyond income case against former finance minister Ishaq Dar.
