ISLAMABAD: The judge of Accountability Court of Islamabad on Tuesday declined to give a one-day adjournment to the counsel of ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif and asked him to appear on Wednesday (today).

Accountability Judge Mohammad Bashir resumed hearing of three references against Mr Sharif and his children on Tuesday.

Mr Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law retired Captain Mohammad Safdar appeared to attend the trial proceeding on Tuesday’s morning.

The court, however, was informed that senior defence counsel Khawaja Haris Ahmed was pleading another case before a bench of the Supreme Court and could not appear before the accountability court.

Judge Bashir then adjourned the proceeding till 2pm and asked the prosecution to produce its witnesses for recording of testimony.

The judge resumed the proceeding at 2pm, but also at that time Khawaja Haris was not inside the courtroom. An associate of Khawaja Haris requested the court to adjourn the proceeding till Thursday since the lawyer had scheduled to argue some cases before the Supreme Court on Wednesday.

The judge declined the request, saying that the senior counsel should appear before the court by Wednesday morning at 9am. He adjourned the proceeding and went into his chamber. In the meanwhile, Khawaja Haris arrived and informed the judge about his arrival through court’s staff.

Mr Sharif’s counsel requested the court to adjourn proceeding till Thursday but the judge asked him to appear before the court by 2pm on Wednesday (today) after attending his cases in the apex court.

Published in Dawn, February 7th, 2018