ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court on Tuesday approved the transfer of the two remaining corruption cases against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his family to another court. The two-member bench, comprising Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, gave the ruling in response to a petition filed by Sharif’s lawyers calling for the change.
Khawaja Haris, Sharif’s legal counsel, had requested the transfer of the Al-Azizia and Flagship Investment cases from Judge Mohammad Bashir’s court, given the judge’s verdict in the Avenfield case relating to property deals in London. The accountability court in Lahore on July 6 sentenced Sharif and his daughter, Maryam, to 10 and seven years in prison, respectively, over the Avenfield case and imposed hefty fines. Sharif’s son-in-law was sentenced to one year in jail. The former prime minister, and leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, was arrested with his daughter at Lahore airport on July 13 when they returned from a visit to Londonn.
The Sharifs have challenged their convictions in the Avenfield case, claiming that there were legal flaws in the verdict. They have asked for it to be overturned and all three family members to be released on bail.
During earlier hearings, Haris argued that all three cases filed by the National Accountability Bureau against his clients had a common witness, Wajid Zia, head of the police joint investigation team, and that Justice Bashir had already disclosed his opinions on crucial aspects of all of the cases. He said that the judge therefore should not hear the remaining cases, in line with directives issued by the Supreme Court.
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Remaining corruption cases against Nawaz Sharif moved to different court
Remaining corruption cases against Nawaz Sharif moved to different court
- Lawyers for the former prime minister and PML-N leader asked for two corruption cases against him to be transferred to another court since the judge had already convicted him in a similar case
- The accountability court on July 6 sentenced Sharif to 10 years in prison for corruption over the Avenfield properties case
Death toll in Karachi shopping plaza fire rises to 10 as search continues for dozens missing
- Mayor Murtaza Wahab said on Monday that four more bodies were recovered overnight, raising the death toll to at least 10
- The fire broke out late Saturday. According to Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, families reported about 60 people missing
KARACHI: The death toll from a massive fire at a shopping plaza in Pakistan’s largest city, Karachi, rose to at least 10 after rescuers recovered four more bodies from the badly damaged building during an overnight search for dozens of people reported missing, officials said Monday.
Firefighters extinguished the blaze at the multistory Gul Plaza late Sunday nearly 24 hours after it erupted, allowing rescue teams to enter the building to rescue those trapped there. Mayor Murtaza Wahab said four more bodies were recovered overnight, raising the death toll to at least 10.
Local media reported that at least 14 people died in the blaze.
The fire broke out late Saturday and spread quickly through shops storing cosmetics, garments and plastic goods, said Dr. Abid Jalal Sheikh, the city’s chief rescue officer.
On Sunday night, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said families had reported about 60 people missing, prompting authorities to launch the search operation. Relatives of the missing gathered outside the heavily damaged building Monday, many in tears, witnesses said.
The cause of the fire was not immediately known. Police said an investigation was underway.
Karachi, the capital of Sindh province, has a history of deadly fires, often blamed on poor safety standards and illegal construction. In November 2023, a fire at a shopping mall in the city killed 10 people and injured 22 others.
A massive fire at a garments factory in Karachi in 2012 killed 260 people.
Firefighters extinguished the blaze at the multistory Gul Plaza late Sunday nearly 24 hours after it erupted, allowing rescue teams to enter the building to rescue those trapped there. Mayor Murtaza Wahab said four more bodies were recovered overnight, raising the death toll to at least 10.
Local media reported that at least 14 people died in the blaze.
The fire broke out late Saturday and spread quickly through shops storing cosmetics, garments and plastic goods, said Dr. Abid Jalal Sheikh, the city’s chief rescue officer.
On Sunday night, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said families had reported about 60 people missing, prompting authorities to launch the search operation. Relatives of the missing gathered outside the heavily damaged building Monday, many in tears, witnesses said.
The cause of the fire was not immediately known. Police said an investigation was underway.
Karachi, the capital of Sindh province, has a history of deadly fires, often blamed on poor safety standards and illegal construction. In November 2023, a fire at a shopping mall in the city killed 10 people and injured 22 others.
A massive fire at a garments factory in Karachi in 2012 killed 260 people.
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