LAHORE: A referee judge of the Lahore High Court on Tuesday sought replies from the federal government and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on an appeal of the Sharif family challenging reopening of Ittefaq Foundry reference by the bureau.

The NAB had reopened three references – Hudaibiya Paper Mills, Jati Umra land purchase and Ittefaq Foundry -- against the Sharif family. Appeal against reopening of two first references has already been allowed by the referee judge, Justice Sardar Muhammad Shamim Khan.

Justice Khan had been hearing these appeals as a referee judge after Justice Sheikh Najamul Hasan refused to further proceed with the matter. Then Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial had appointed Justice Hasan as “referee judge” after a division bench dealing with the matter of Sharif family at Rawalpindi bench came to a dissenting observation on a law point.

The division bench differed on the point whether there was no need or requirement to give observations that NAB authorities were competent to proceed against the petitioners if investigation was again initiated.

Sharif family’s counsel Ashtar Ausaf argued that the NAB had made the references on the direction of then military ruler Pervez Musharraf to politically victimise his clients. He said the references could not be reopened.

The referee judge will resume hearing on Sept 11.

Notice to DCO: The Lahore High Court on Tuesday issued a notice to the district coordination officer on a petition of the Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) against alleged detention of its 72 workers.

Justice James Joseph held first hearing of the petition and Advocate Ishtiaq Chaudhry advanced arguments on behalf of the party. The lawyer argued that the government had been victimising the PAT workers on political grounds. He said the government detained at least 72 workers of the party and was not producing them before any court of law.

The lawyer asked the court to set aside detention orders, if any, issued by the government against the PAT workers. The judge would resume hearing on Sept 11.

Published in Dawn, September 10th, 2014