ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) has adjourned hearing of the Rs1.2 billion Hudaibiya Paper Mills scam case against Sharif family due to the non-availability of a judge.

Justice Mian Alam Mian Khel was not present during Wednesday’s hearing due to which the hearing was adjourned until December 15 (Friday).

During the hearing, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB)’s special prosecutor, Imranul Haq, told the apex court bench that he has completed his arguments. However, the top graft buster has yet to submit complete money trail to prove alleged money laundering by the Sharif family in the case.

a two-member team from the anti-graft watchdog has departed for London to gather more evidence on the case. The two points of contention are the Sharifs’ Mayfair flats in London and their offshore companies.

Sources revealed that the NAB team will be staying in London for a week and will be approaching different sources for information. There are chances of new references being filed against the suspects in case any new information is unearthed during the probe.

Meanwhile, the the top court questioned the NAB’s prosecutor over three-year delay in filing of the appeal against the Lahore High Court (LHC)’s verdict on quashing of the case.

A day earlier, the apex court made it clear to the NAB that the burden to prove the alleged criminal offence of the Sharif family in the money laundering case is on its shoulder.

The bench also sought detail of the evidences collected by the top graft buster and later by a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) in the Panamagate case. It asked the accountability watchdog to establish money trail to prove the alleged criminal offence.

Background

Some 17 years ago, NAB claimed that Nawaz Sharif, then prime minister, and his family received more than Rs1 billion “through illegal and fraudulent means” and that they were liable to be tried under anti-corruption laws in relation to the Hudabiya Papers Mills.

In 2014, the LHC quashed the reference concerning the Hudabiya Papers Mills against the Sharif family. However, the anti-graft watchdog did not challenge the LHC’s order at that time.

According to NAB documents, Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz, his father Mian Muhammad Sharif, brothers Shehbaz and Abbas Sharif, Abbas’s wife Sabiha, Sharif’s son Hussain and Shahbaz’s son Hamza had been accused of receiving the alleged ‘ill-gotten money’ in the case.