NAB court to give joint verdict in remaining two references against Sharifs

• Nawaz’s counsel argues Accountability Court-I had also decided to announce a joint verdict in three references

• Nawaz tells reporters he used to pay day-to-day expenses of PM House from his own pocket

ISLAMABAD: The accountability court on Monday announced to give a joint verdict in remaining two corruption references against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his family.

The deposed premier appeared before the court as Accountability Court-II Judge Arshad Malik resumed hearing the Al-Azizia and Flagship Investment references.

During the hearing, Nawaz’s legal counsel Khawaja Haris appealed to the court to give a joint verdict against the Sharif family in remaining two corruption cases filed by National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

“Accountability Court-I had also decided to announce a joint verdict in three references. However, it only announced its verdict in Avenfield reference,” he told the court, adding the other two cases were then transferred as the verdict on one of them came separately.

Approving request by Haris and ordering a joint verdict in the remaining two references, the court adjourned the hearing till August 27.

Meanwhile, on the last hearing statement of Investigating Officer (IO), Mehboob Alam was recorded in Al-Azizia reference during the last hearing.

The court also has also summoned star witness of the prosecution and Panama Joint Investigation Team (JIT) head Wajid Zia for the hearing.

On August 7, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday ordered transferring the Al-Azizia and Flagship Investment references against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his family to another court, accepting the plea filed by Nawaz’s counsel Khawaja Haris.

The high court, which had earlier reserved its order after National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Prosecutor Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi’s concluded his arguments, decided in the favour of the Sharif family shortly afterwards.

A two-member bench of the IHC, comprising Justice Mian Gul Hassan and Justice Amir Farooq, ordered the transfer of the cases on Nawaz Sharif’s plea.