IHC rules in favour of Nawaz’s plea for merger of NAB references

ISLAMABAD (NNI): Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday revoked the decision of accountability court against merging anti-graft references in Nawaz Sharif’s case.

Two-member division bench of IHC heard the petition filed by the former premier. Nawaz Sharif’s lawyer argued that July 28 verdict of the Supreme Court didn’t ask the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) court to file references separately. He added that separate charges cannot be imposed on each reference.

The ex-PM’s counsel spoke before the IHC bench that the accountability court dismissed the plea to hold trial after merging NAB references without any legal basis. He asked the IHC bench to halt tomorrow’s hearing in view of the arguments.

On the other hand, NAB prosecutor opposed the arguments saying the Supreme Court had already dismissed the review petition of Nawaz Sharif, adding that the nature of charges imposed on the three references individually are not the same. He added that statements are being recorded after handing over the charge sheet.

Keeping in view arguments from both sides, Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kiyani remarked that the charges were classified according to criminal codes, but there’s no such thing alike in NAB ordinance. He ordered to revoke the October 19 verdict made by accountability and postpone tomorrow’s hearing in NAB court where ex-PM was set to appear.

Asif Kirmani had submitted a petition in IHC on Sharif’s behalf, stating separate indictments in three corruption cases is against the law therefore, the references should be merged into one.

Sharif’s political future has been in doubt since July when the Supreme Court sacked him following an investigation into corruption allegations against his family, making him the 15th premier in Pakistan’s 70-year history to be ousted before completing a full term.