IHC adjourns Nawaz Sharif’s plea for merging references into one

F.P. Report

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday put off a plea of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif seeking merger of all the references filed against him into one.

Sharif has approached the high court, challenging the accountability court’s Nov 8 verdict that rejected his request to merge the references against him into one to conduct a joint trial.

A bench of the IHC adjourned the hearing till Nov 23 and directed the former prime minister’s lawyer to conclude his arguments on next hearing.

In his initial arguments, Advocate Nazir Tarar said Sharif was being meted out unfair treatment. Since the top court asked his client to approach an appropriate forum to have his grievance redressed, he has approached this court, he told the judges.

On which, Justice Amir Farooq instructed him to raise legal points instead of beating about the bush.

On Nov 8, the accountability court’s Judge Muhammad Bashir rejected the Sharif’s application for joint trial and formally framed charges against him in each of the three references.

The three references related to the Sharif family’s London flats, Flagship Investment Ltd and Al Azizia & Hill Metal Establishment.

The former prime minister rejected all corruption charges while pleading not guilty and opted to contest them.