The Accountability Court hearing corruption references against the Sharif family on Wednesday adjourned hearing of two references filed against former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif till July 30. During the hearing, Sharif's counsel Khawaja Haris informed the Accountability Court Judge Muhammad Bashir that Islamabad High Court (IHC) has admitted his petition seeking transfer of Al-Azizia Steel Mills and Hill Metals and Flagship references to another court. He told the judge, "It is not appropriate for you to hear these two references as you have already announced the judgment in the Avenfield reference."
The judge replied that he has written a letter to the IHC regarding transfer of cases to another court as the accountability court does not have this mandate.
Haris further told the court that he will not become part of the proceedings until the IHC decides the petition regarding transfer of cases to another court.
On the issue related to the jail trial, Haris said that the federal government should have taken into confidence all the stockholders, including defense, before issuing notification regarding jail trial. "We received the notification during the previous hearing but despite repeated attempts, the Adiala Jail administration did not permit me to meet my client for consultation on the matter," he said.
"We would not argue over the issue of jail trail until we discuss it with our client," he said, adding that the objective of jail trail is to prevent his client from public appearance before July 25 polls.
While objecting to the defense counsel's arguments, Deputy Prosecutor General NAB Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi said that the IHC did not issue any stay order on the proceedings of two references and requested the court to continue the hearing of two cases.
Abbasi said it would be appropriate if the same judge hears the two cases as he conducted hearings of the two cases and evidence of prosecution has almost concluded in both the cases. "There is no bar in the law that you, the judge, cannot hear these cases," he added.
He said that the court during the previous hearing provided copies of notification issued by the federal government regarding jail trial. The federal government under section 16 B has the power to issue such order, he said, adding that the government might have issued this order due to security reasons.
On this the judge said that it is not a simple matter where one just picks up everything and starts hearing the case inside the jail.
The court after hearing the arguments of both the parties adjourned the hearing till July 30.
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