CJP rejects Nawaz's appeal for clubbing of references
The Chief Justice of Pakistan dismissed on Thursday Nawaz Sharif's appeal on the registrar's decision rejecting his petition which sought an end to the multiple corruption cases against him. On October 13, the former prime minister had approached the Supreme Court seeking an end to the multiple references against him and pleaded that they are combined into one.
However, the apex court's registrar had rejected the petition, saying the petitioner needs to approach the relevant forum. Later, Nawaz appealed the registrar's decision which was heard incamera Thursday by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, who dismissed the appeal.
Nawaz's counsel Khawaja Harris said they were not expecting this decision, adding that such appeals are usually heard in open court.
Nawaz's petition had also called upon the Supreme Court to halt the accountability court proceedings of the three references against the Sharif family until a single reference is filed.
The plea was filed by Nawaz's legal team under Article 184 ( 3) of the Constitution. It stated that Section 9 ( a) ( 5) of the National Accountability Ordinance holds that the reference against possession of assets beyond known sources of income should be one and not spread over several references.
The petition pleaded that the Supreme Court's July 28 direction to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to file three corruption references be declared illegal. The Sharif family's petition added that holding of several trials based on one allegation is against the basic rights of the petitioners.
Nawaz was disqualified by the Supreme Court on July 28 in the Panama Papers case. The court also directed the NAB to file three corruption references against Nawaz and his family members.
The hearing of those references, in which Nawaz has been indicted, is presently under way in the accountability court. Nawaz has filed a similar plea, seeking the clubbing of three references into one, in the Islamabad High Court which is hearing the case. The next hearing will take place on Monday.