NAB court's verdict over Nawaz's plea to merge references challenged in IHC

Dunya News

Lawyer Azam Tarar demanded to nullify the NAB court decision.

ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Ousted Prime Minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday challenged accountability court’s verdict over his plea seeking merger of National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) Avenfield properties, Al-Azizia Steel Mills and Flagship Investments references in Islamabad High Court (IHC).

Lawyer Azam Tarar adopted the stance that the court rejected his client’s petition without going through the reasons mentioned in the detailed IHC order. He further demanded to nullify the NAB court decision and schedule hearing on the matter today.

Earlier on Saturday, it was told that Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Saqib Nisar will hear the petition of former PM on November 16. CJP himself will decide whether to approve or reject the petition from the former premier.

On November 8, accountability court rejected Nawaz Sahrif’s references merger plea and indicted him in all three corruption cases separately.

The accountability court will also record statements of the witnesses in three NAB references against Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law Captain (retd) Safdar from November 15.

Nawaz Sharif said that he already knew that the decision of Supreme Court (SC) on his review petitions will not be in his favor. This verdict will become a ‘black chapter’ in the history, he added.

SC disqualified Sharif from office in July over unreported sources of annual income of about $10,000, a salary the former premier denies ever receiving. The high court also ordered the NAB to investigate and conduct a trial into the Sharif family’s wider finances, including the London properties.

Sharif maintains control of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party, which elected close ally Shahid Khaqan Abbasi as prime minister after Sharif was disqualified.