Two key judges nominated for NAB Rawalpindi courts transferred

Two judges, who were nominated by the Law and Justice Ministry for Rawalpindi accountability courts, have been transferred, a move which could apparently delay prosecution of former premier Nawaz Sharif, his family and others in accountability courts.

The development came after Chief Justice Lahore High Court Mansoor Ali Shah ordered postings and transfers of some lower courts judges in Punjab. 

The law ministry nominated two judges, Nisar Ahmed and Chaudhry Abdul Qayyum, for accountability courts in Rawalpindi. The two were supposed to replace judges Khalid Ranjha and Raja Abdul Khaliq, who will be completing their tenure in the first week of October.

Abdul Qayyum was transferred to district Layyah while Nisar Ahmed assumed charge as session judge Vehari on Thursday. 

The corruption watchdog is going to file references against Nawaz Sharif, Hussain Nawaz, Hassan Nawaz, Maryam Nawaz, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and Capt (retd) Mohammad Safdar before September 8, 2017 in accountability courts of Rawalpindi/Islamabad.

The law ministry will now move a fresh summary to Chief Justice Lahore High Court for the nomination of two fresh judges to take over accountability courts likely to be hearing references against the Sharifs. 

The apex court has already ordered to decide the case within six months. A senior official of ministry says the postings are routine and would not hamper proceedings at accountability courts and new nominations may not take more than a week. 

An SC judge is monitoring NAB’s operations regarding the Panama case order. One of six accountability courts in the twin cities is not operating, while judges of three courts will get superannuation within the next two months.

Meanwhile, investigation officers (IOs) started the exercise after the members of the Sharif family and other accused failed to appear before CIT, which in its final notices asked them to appear before the bureau on August 22, otherwise, it would be construed that they had nothing more to offer in their defence.

Consultation on drafting the references started soon after CIT Lahore received written replies of Nawaz, his daughter Maryam Nawaz, MNA Capt (retd) Safdar and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar who pleaded: “There is neither any mandate nor any scope for any investigation, issuance of the Performa and scores of questions put to my client are outside the scope of the order passed by the Supreme Court, any such exercise tantamount to re-writing the order.”

Hussain Nawaz and Hassan Nawaz are mostly likely submitting their written replies before NAB Lahore on Friday, a close aide of Sharifs’ family told this correspondent. 

They are being represented by Advocate Amjad Pervaiz, he added. 

Earlier, Nawaz Sharif and Ishaq Dar in their separate replies submitted through senior lawyer Amjad Pervaiz with NAB Lahore stated that “they will not appear before investigators till review petitions filed in the apex court against the Panamagate verdict are decided upon.”

Salman Akram Raja, counsel for Nawaz's children and Cap (retd) Safdar, is also going to file a review on behalf of his clients against the Panama order in the apex court, informed an aide of the Sharifs’ family.

Meanwhile, the apex court has yet to respond NAB’s request seeking permission to record statements of JIT members, government officials said.