ISLAMABAD – The Accountability Court on Monday announced a relief for theSharif family as plead by their lawyer before the court.

Court ordered to announce a joint verdict in Al-Azizia Steel Mills andFlagship Investment references against former prime minister Nawaz Sharifand his family members.

Accountability Court-II Judge Arshad Malik heard these remainingreferences. Nawaz Sharif was brought from Adiala Jail amid tight securityand presented before the court.

During the hearing, Nawaz’s counsel Khawaja Harris appealed to Judge ArshadMalik to announce a joint verdict in the two remaining referenced filed bythe National Accountability Bureau (NAB) against the Sharif family.

“Accountability court I had also decided on a joint verdict in the threereferences. However, it only announced its verdict in the Avenfieldreference,” Harris said.

“The other two cases were then transferred as verdict on one of them cameseparately,” Nawaz’s counsel upheld. Approving Harris’s request andordering a joint verdict in the remaining two references, the courtadjourned the hearing till August 27 (Monday).

Nawaz Sharif and his family members are facing three corruption referencesin the accountability court — Avenfield Properties, Al-Azizia Steel Millsand Flagship Investments — in which they are accused of money laundering,tax evasion and hiding offshore assets.