Nawaz Sharif’s lawyer recuses himself from corrpution cases

ISLAMABAD: Nawaz Sharif’s lawyer Khawaja Haris on Monday recused himself from representing the former premier in several corruption cases filed by the National Accountability Bureau against the Sharif family on the ground that he could no longer work under the pressure imposed on him by the Supreme Court.

The lawyer and his team walked out of the case, saying they could not perform under such pressure.

Haris said the Supreme Court had instructed the accountability or anti-corruption court to wrap up proceedings in the cases within a month and to conduct hearings on Saturday. Subsequently, he withdrew his power of attorney in the case.

On June 10, the Supreme Court had given four weeks to the anticorruption court to wrap up proceedings. The court further said the judge was free to fix timings for the hearings.

Judge Mohammad Bashir of the anti-corruption court questioned Sharif regarding his counsel. “I can only tell after consultations, I need some time,” Sharif replied.

The case was indefinitely adjourned in the absence of Sharif’s counsel.

Later, Sharif told the media that his fundamental rights were being violated “as no lawyer will take up a case where he is not even allowed time to prepare and is asked to appear even on the weekends”.

“Does the chief justice not know that justice rushed is justice crushed?” he said.