PAK SC: NO LOOPHOLES IN SHARIF DISQUALIFICATION

The Supreme Court of Pakistan has issued verdict over review petitions filed by disqualified premier Nawaz Sharif stating that no loopholes were pointed out in the disqualification order by the claimants.

The top court has issued a 23-page order in review petitions against the July 28 verdict in a corruption reference against Nawaz Sharif and his family.

According to the order,

deal with assets beyond means and allegations and most of witnesses are same, so the references should be taken as one.

But NAB lawyer Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi opposed the move.

Former NAB prosecutor Raja Amir Abbas said that Sharif can challenge the rejection of application in the high court. “Now the trial will resume from where it was stopped to decide the application by Sharif,” he said.

The accountability court on October 19 rejected a similar application by Mr Sharif to convert three cases into one. The rejection the accountability court that is hearing corruption references against the family is free to go ahead with verdict that it deems appropriate in light of the evidence provided.

The court has maintained that six and a half years worth of salary is to be considered an asset of Nawaz Sharif and that forged affidavit was attached along nomination papers of Mr Sharif.

The order reads that the facts regarding disqualification of Nawaz Sharif were uncontroversial.

was challenged in the IHC which referred the case to accountability court with direction to reconsider it.

It is not clear whether Sharif would be present during the next hearing as he has already filed an application to let him appoint his pleader to represent him in his absence.

The court has yet to decide the case.

Mr Sharif was also indicted last month through his representative Zaafir Khan as he was away in London to take care of his wife Kulsoom who is battling with throat cancer.