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

Kashmir unresolved
Updated 30 Sep, 2026

Kashmir unresolved

The just solution lies in India addressing the issue through a trilateral dialogue involving the legitimate representatives of the Kashmiri people and Pakistan.
Water shortage
30 Sep, 2026

Water shortage

THAT the country is entering the Rabi season with an anticipated water shortage of nearly 25pc, the lowest carryover...
Young hearts
30 Sep, 2026

Young hearts

THE observance may have passed, but the message of World Heart Day should not fade with it. The occasion is a useful...
Terror and politics
Updated 29 Sep, 2026

Terror and politics

There is an urgent need to tone down the rhetoric and tackle terrorism as a collective challenge for both the affected provinces and the federation.
Watching the glaciers
29 Sep, 2026

Watching the glaciers

THE latest signs from Pakistan’s mountains are worrying. Suparco says the number of unfrozen glacial lakes it...
Dangerous agenda
29 Sep, 2026

Dangerous agenda

AS the world remains fixated on the US-Iran conflict, elsewhere in the Middle East, Israel is consolidating its grip...