NAB seeks quick trial of cases against Sharifs

[LRE]

NAB seeks quick trial of cases against Sharifs

Staff Report

RAWALPINDI: Special Judge, Central, Shaukat Ali Sajid on Thursday adjourned till October 7 hearing into an appeal by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for speedy trial of corruption references against Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif. The NAB prosecutor general, Danishwar Malik, and special prosecutor Abdul Baseer Qureshi appeared before the court. The court adjourned hearing till October 7. According to NAB officials, the special judge, central, was not competent to try the case except for fixing dates for hearing into the case, as the top posts of judges in all the four accountability courts were lying vacant. The permanent judges could only hear the references. Deputy Prosecutor General Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutto had moved an application to the court for reopening three cases against Sharifs on July 31, 2007 a few days before their homecoming after an eight-year exile. Judge Accountability Court number-IV Chaudhry Khalid Mehmood had adjourned the references sine die on August 21 2008 after one year of their reopening. The NAB submitted an appeal to the special judge, central, after adjournment of corruption references against Sharif brothers sine die by Judge Ch Khalid Mehmood on August 21. In Hudaibia Paper Mills case, Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif have been named as the main accused and the case was filed with the Attock NAB Court on March 27, 2000. In Raiwind corruption reference, Nawaz Sharif and his mother Shamim Akhtar are the main accused. They have been charged with accumulation of money and assets beyond their declared means of income by misusing authority. In Ittefaq Foundry Reference, Nawaz Sharif and his brothers, Shahbaz Sharif and Abbas Sharif along with many others, have been accused of securing huge loans and misusing them, causing millions of rupees loss to the national exchequer.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp...008_pg11_6