Nawaz Sharif: No lawyer willing to fight my case

Nawaz Sharif. Pic/ AFP

Pakistan¿s former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who has been facing charges in the Avenfield properties case has said that no lawyer is willing to take his case.

Sharif's lawyer Khwaja Haris on Monday terminated his legal services to Nawaz and his family in corruption cases, citing inability to appear before accountability court on weekends.

Haris also stated that the Supreme Court had 'dictated on completing the trial within a month, which was not possible.'

Nawaz and his family are facing three corruption cases filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

If the verdict in the corruption references came before Pakistan¿s general elections it would amount to desecration of the law.

¿My fundamental rights are being violated as I am being deprived of the services of a lawyer,¿ Dawn quoted Sharif as saying.

He also claimed that because of the strict conditions set by the apex court, no lawyer was willing to take up his case.

Sharif complained that the accountability court had changed its decision regarding consolidated hearing.

He was also critical of former military dictator retired General Pervez Musharraf. ¿How a dictator who abrogated the Constitution is being pampered!¿ he said.

Sharif, his sons Hasan and Hussain, daughter Maryam, son-in-law Capt (retd) Mohammad Safdar and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar are facing multiple corruption references in the accountability court.

The court then asked Sharif if he would engage a new lawyer or convince Advocate Haris to take back his application, he sought some time from the court to respond.

After that the court adjourned the proceedings till today.

The trial for the corruption references had started on September 14, 2017. The cases filed against the Sharifs are in connection with the Al-Azizia Steel Mills and Hill Metal Establishment, offshore companies including Flagship Investment Ltd, and Avenfield properties of London.

While the Sharif and his sons are accused in all three cases, his daughter and son-in-law are involved only in the Avenfield reference.

The Pakistan Supreme Court had, on July 28 last year, disqualified Sharif from holding the office of the prime minister and asked the National Accountability Bureau to file references against the Sharif family in connection with corruption cases.

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