NAB references: Court gives Nawaz till June 19 to hire legal counsel

ISLAMABAD (92 News) – The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) court on Tuesday gave former prime minister Nawaz Sharif till June 19 to hire a new lawyer. During the hearing of the Avenfield reference, Nawaz appeared before the court without his lawyer. Judge Muhammad Bashir asked Nawaz if he wanted to hire another legal counsel or continue with Haris. To reply, Nawaz answered that the decision was not an easy one. "A lawyer worked hard on this case for nine months; it is not an easy decision," he said. He lamented that his lawyer had informed the court of his inability to work on Saturdays and Sundays. "Nearly hundred attendances have been marked in the case," Nawaz stated. "Is this case going to be heard 24 hours a day and seven days a week?" Nawaz asked that Is there any similar example. The former premier told the accountability court judge, "If you want to hang me then hang me, if you want to send me to jail then sentence me, pass whatever judgment you desire." Nawaz asked that a request to visit an ailing wife a publicity stunt, adding that while questioning if such statements are not hurtful. "The Supreme Court should hear this case themselves once again," Nawaz further said. To this, Judge Bashir remarked, "Isn't it good that you won't have to keep appearing before court?" The court then hearing of Al-Azizia reference was adjourned till June 19. Earlier a day, Haris had recused himself from representing the former prime minister in all three corruption references filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) against the Sharif family, after the Supreme Court's earlier directives to wrap up the trial within a month.