ISLAMABAD: Minutes after today’s proceedings began in the accountability court in regards to hearing corruption cases against the Sharif family, a commotion by members of the legal fraternity forced the judge in question to adjourn the matter.
Senior leaders of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), including cabinet members, were at the scene to receive the former Prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s daughter Maryam Nawaz and her husband MNA Capt (retd) Safdar who arrived at the scene separately Friday morning.
Strict security arrangements at the scene barred non-essential people, including lawyers, from entering the judicial complex.
This led to a tussle with the police, which led to the injury of at least one year.
The lawyers began to protest inside the court vicinity, claiming the Islamabad High Court has allowed lawyers to be present inside the judicial complex as well as the accountability court as it claims to be “an open court.”
The lawyers also caused a commotion with deputy attorney general, forcing Judge Mohammad Bashir to leave for his chamber and call today’s proceedings to a halt.
Former Prime minister Nawaz Sharif did not appear in court today as he is present in London, along with his sons, to assist his wife who is undergoing treatment for lymphoma.
Maryam Nawaz reached Islamabad from Lahore Thursday night and is currently residing at the residence of Chaudhry Muneer, her daughter’s father-in-law, locates in Sector F-6.
At the last hearing on October 9, where the accountability court approved the bail of Maryam and Safdar after they made their appearance in court, the judge set October 13 (today) as the date on which Nawaz – regardless of his presence – along with Maryam and Safdar will be indicted.
The accountability court is acting judge to a total of three corruption cases against the Sharif family filed by NAB in light of the Supreme Court’s judgment in the Panama Papers case.
