Sharif appears in court in remaining graft cases against him

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's Supreme Court on Monday ordered the accountability court here to conclude the remaining two corruption cases against Nawaz Sharif and his family within the next six weeks as the jailed former prime minister appeared before the anti-corruption court, according to a media report.

The 68-year-old PML-N leader appeared before the court for hearing in the Al-azizia Steel Mills and the Hill Metal Establishment cases.

The court also directed accountability judge Mohammad Arshad Malik to submit a progress report of the case to the apex court on a weekly basis, Dawn newspaper reported.

During a hearing of the application seeking an extension in the deadline, Chief Justice Saqib Nisar remarked that he hoped that the defence counsel would complete his defence within the stipulated time.

A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Saqib Nisar ordered a six-week extension in the deadline for concluding the remaining two corruption cases, it said.

Last week, Malik had submitted a written request to the top court, seeking a fifth extension in the trial of ousted prime minister Sharif.

Sharif, along with his daughter Maryam, 44 and his son-in-law Capt (retd) Muhammad Safdar, 54, are already serving jail terms of 10-years, seven years and one year respectively in the Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, after the accountability court convicted them on July 6 over the family's ownership of four luxury flats in London through illegal means. The pending corruption cases against Sharif and his two sons were transferred by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on August 7 on application of Sharif to another accountability court headed by judge Malik.

Three corruption cases were filed against Sharif and family last year following a decision by Supreme Court on July 28 of the same year. The formal trial of the Sharif family started on September 14 and was to be completed in six months but later the deadline was extended at least thrice.