Court concludes hearing NAB references against Sharifs; verdict on Monday

Published
36
The verdict in NAB references against Nawaz Sharif will be announced on December 24. — File
The verdict in NAB references against Nawaz Sharif will be announced on December 24. — File

An accountability court has reserved its verdict in the National Accountability Bureau's (NAB) Flagship Investment and Al-Azizia references against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, DawnNewsTV reported on Wednesday.

The verdict will be announced on December 24 (Monday), which is the revised deadline set by the Supreme Court to wrap up the references. The accountability court had indicted Sharif in the said references for holding assets beyond his known sources of income in August 2017.

Sharif's counsel Khawaja Haris today furnished documents related to Hasan Nawaz's offshore companies and asked accountability court judge Arshad Malik for more time to submit additional documents.

The request for a full week's time was, however, turned down by the judge, who told Haris that he can submit the documents in court latest by Monday.

Haris, while presenting his final argument today, told the judge that "Nawaz Sharif has never admitted that he received a salary from Capital FZE", adding that his client's position in the said company was "honourary".

The counsel claimed that Sharif had obtained employment in Capital FZE for visa purposes only.

Not a penny's corruption proven against me: Sharif

Sharif talks to the media outside the court.

Sharif, following the hearing, had a brief chat with media representatives outside the court, during which he claimed that "not a penny of corruption was proven against me".

"This was my 78th appearance in this case and in the one before we had appeared 87 times," he said. "This was a very painful [experience].

"I have been serving the people for 35 years. I have been the chief minister twice and the prime minister thrice. I am very happy that I have done my duty, and I think that since I have stepped in politics I have never indulged in corruption nor have I ever misused my powers."

The former prime minister also lauded the media for its responsible reporting on the cases against him and "conveying the facts to the nation".

Opinion

Editorial

Referendum talk
Updated 14 Nov, 2026

Referendum talk

Unless the PPP is deliberately using Sindh as a bargaining chip, it should issue a clarification with a clear, consistent position on new administrative units, not one tailored to protect its home turf.
Mineral wealth
Updated 14 Nov, 2026

Mineral wealth

Minerals should not be presented as a solution to Pakistan’s long-term economic difficulties. The aim should be to build an industrial base rather than export raw materials.
Late diagnosis
14 Nov, 2026

Late diagnosis

AS we mark World Diabetes Day today, Pakistan faces a troubling question: how many people are living with diabetes...
Climate challenges
Updated 13 Nov, 2026

Climate challenges

Pakistan cannot afford to confront its climate crises one disaster, one season and one international summit at a time.
Under fire
Updated 13 Nov, 2026

Under fire

KP police are increasingly vulnerable as they play a frontline role in ongoing operations against terrorists.
Used car imports
13 Nov, 2026

Used car imports

THE government’s effort to restrict used car imports appears to be faltering. So suggest the numbers. Despite...