RAWALPINDI, Oct 19: An accountability court on Friday adjourned till November 8 hearing in three corruption cases against Mian Nawaz Sharif and his family after the prosecution sought a new date saying that a leader of the former prime minister’s party had stated that he would return in the first week of next month.

National Accountability Bureau Deputy Prosecutor-General Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta submitted to the Accountability Court No 4 that PML (N) leader Javed Hashmi had claimed that Mr Sharif would return to Pakistan in the first week of November.

He also presented news clippings about the schedule of Mr Nawaz’s return. He argued that since the arrival of the accused was expected early next month, the hearing might be adjourned for the second week of November.

When Judge Khalid Mehmood asked who would decide about Mr Sharif’s return, the government or the Supreme Court, the lawyer replied that only the superior judiciary would decide about it.

On the last hearing on Oct 3, the judge had said he would adjourn the hearing sine die the hearing if the accused remained out of the jurisdiction the court.

The prosecution on Friday said that cases might remain open because the accused intended to return to Pakistan.

Despite repeated requests by NAB, the court refused to issue arrest warrants for the accused in three cases -- Hudabia Paper Mills, Ittifaq Foundry and Raiwind assets. The judge again said that he could not issue arrest warrants till the accused returned to the country in accordance with the decision of the Supreme Court.

The arrest warrants shown to Mr Nawaz on his arrival at Islamabad airport on Sept 10 were issued by the NAB chairman.