Hearing of corruption cases against Sharif adjourned

Special report: Pakistani Situation

ISLAMABAD, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- A special Accountability Court on Wednesday deferred the hearing of three corruption references against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and other Sharif family members till Jan. 12, the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported.

The court also directed the Prosecutor General of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to appear before the court on next date and clarify whether the government intended to prosecute the accused or not, said the report.

The NAB had filed three corruption references including money laundering, misuse of powers in Hudebia paper Mills, Itefaq Foundry and Riawind land against Nawaz Sharif, his brother ShahbazSharif and other seven members of Sharif family before Sharif made his first attempt to return from exile.

Sharif, elected twice as prime minister of Pakistan, was sentenced to life imprisonment for hijacking and other charges in 2000 after General Pervez Musharraf staged a bloodless coup and took power in 1999. The government agreed to commute his life sentence to exile for ten years.

Sharif came back to Pakistan on Sept. 10 but was deported to Saudi Arabia after staying for several hours in the country.

He returned to his hometown in the eastern city of Lahore on Nov. 25 and started to take part in political activities in Pakistan.

Sharif: Rejection of nomination papers won't damage morale

ISLAMABAD, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Mian Nawaz Sharif Tuesday dispelled the impression that the rejection of his nomination papers would damage his morale, saying that he is determined to contest elections with more courage. Full story

Official: Sharif disqualified to contest general elections

ISLAMABAD, Dec. 3 (Xinhua) -- The election officials in eastern Pakistan's Lahore city on Monday disqualified former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to stand in the upcoming parliamentary elections, the News Network International news agency reported.