Islamabad: A Pakistani anti-graft court today adjourned till tomorrow the hearing of corruption cases against ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif who appeared before it to face trial in the Panama Papers scandal. Sharif, 67, appeared before the Accountability Court Islamabad along with his daughter Maryam and son-in-law Captain (retired) Mohammad Safdar. Sharif and some of his family members are facing charges relating to their ownership of properties in London.
NAB lawyer Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi pleaded that all three cases should be treated separately. After hearing both sides, the judge reserved the decision, which he is expected to announce tomorrow, according to a court official. Sharif and his his daughter and son-in-law were asked to appear in the court when it will announce the judgment. Minister of State for Information Marriyum Aurangzeb told media that Sharif was not running from the law but "facing trial".
The trial court on October 19 rejected an application by Sharif that since all three cases deal with assets beyond means, so they should be taken up as a single case. The decision was challenged in the IHC which referred the case to the Accountability Court with an order to hear it again. The court on the previous hearing on November 3 had briefly taken up the application. Sharif was indicted in absence in three corruption cases. Maryam and Safdar have been indicted in one case with him, while the court is proceeding separately against his two sons Husain and Hasan who are co-accused in three cases.
The court during the hearing on October 9 decided to separate the trial of his sons from Sharif and his daughter and son-in-law. The cases are based on the July 28 disqualification verdict of the Supreme Court and to launch three corruption cases against him, his family, and one case against Finance Minister Ishaq Dar. The political future of Sharif, who leads the country's most powerful political family and the ruling PML-N party, has been hanging in balance since then. If convicted, Sharif can be jailed. Sharif's family alleges that the cases are politically motivated. PTI
