NAB References: AC adjourns hearing against Sharif family until 11am

ISLAMABAD (92 News) – The accountability court (AC) resumed hearing of mega corruption references filed against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his family by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in line with the Supreme Court directive in the Panamagate case. Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz will not appear before the court after they were granted exemption from personal court appearance. The accountability court (AC) judge Muhammad Bashir resumed hearing of the three corruption references against the Sharif family. During the proceedings, the former premier’s counsel appealed the court to delay the proceedings until 11am. The judge accepted the request and adjourned the hearing until 11am. In the previous hearing, the court had granted one week exemption to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif from personal appearance in the court. Previously, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had filed three cases of corruption and money laundering against Sharif, his family members and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar in the Islamabad Accountability Court following the verdict. The anti-graft body NAB had frozen the bank accounts and seized properties of Sharif and his family members to put pressure on them to appear before the court. The Sharifs have denied any wrongdoing and have labelled the corruption proceedings against them as politically motivated. Two of Nawaz’s sons are also due to appear before the NAB court, along with Finance Minister Ishaq Dar. Nawaz was disqualified by the Supreme Court in July for not declaring a source of income that he disputes receiving. Pakistan’s top court also ordered a wide-ranging NAB investigation and trial into Sharif family members. The Supreme Court specified that the trial be concluded within six months by NAB, which has in the past been derided as toothless because rich and powerful politicians were seldom convicted.