ISLAMABAD: Accountability court on Friday is expected to announce verdict on Avenfiled reference case at 2:30 pm.
Judge Mohammad Bashir earlier today dismissed former premier Nawaz Sharif’s plea seeking delay in announcement of the verdict for a week.
Accountability court initially reserved its verdict over Sharifs plea, later on dismissing it.
Judge Mohammad Bashir is inside his chamber and is expected to announce the verdict shorty.
The district administration has imposed Section 144 in the capital with due consideration to the security concerns at the Judicial complex.
The administration has sought the help of rangers to discourage public gathering outside the complex and have deployed 400 police personnel to maintain security.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan on Friday said that the verdict should be announced today, remarking that Nawaz can read the verdict in the paper tomorrow. Khan further said that Adiala Jail is awaiting Nawaz Sharif and so are the masses who have been awaiting justice since last year.
On the other hand, Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that the verdict should be announced today as the criminal can’t dictate the court when to give its verdict.
Accountability court has been conducting proceedings of the Avenfield reference since the past 9 months and 20 days. Earlier on July 3, the court had reserved its verdict over the case.
Sharif family is under trial for corruption, money laundering and tax evasion in NAB’s supplementary references following Panamagate case verdict. The proceedings have till now recorded statements of 18 witnesses along with that of the prosecution star witness and former head of Panama papers Joint Investigation Team (JIT) Wajid Zia.