Judge asked to complete Sharifs' trial in two more corruption references in six weeks

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Tuesday give six-week time to the Accountability Court judge  for completing trial of the Sharif family in  two more corruption references.Judge Bashir Ahmed on Friday handed down verdict in Avenfield Reference, sentencing Nawaz Sharif to 10 years, Mayram Nawaz seven years and Captain Safdar one year imprisonment.The judge, who was directed by the Suprme Court on June 10 to decide the three corruption references till July 10, filed an application for extension.Taking up his plea for hearing, a division bench of the apex court comprising Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar and Justice Ijazul Ahsan asked him to complete trial of Sharifs and former finance minister Ishaq Dar within six weeks.The Accountability Court has yet to decide Al-Azizia Steel Mills and Flagship Investment references filed against the Sharif family under Supreme Court orders in the light of apex court's ruling in Panama Papers case.Nawaz Sharif's lawyer Khawaja Haris who argued that the two references were similar to the one the judge had earlier decided. He said the evidence  was  also similar in the three references.Justice Ijazul Ahsan told the lawyer that Al-Azizia Steel Mills and Flagship Investment references were different from the Avenfiled Reference.He said the different king of transactions were identified in the Falgship Investment Reference.Chief Justice said the  case is being heard on  merit  and assured the  lawyer that the bench would issue an order for the accountability court to  hear the case without any bias.

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