SUNDAY TIMES ISLAMABAD:The divisional bench comprises Justice Amir Farooq and Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kiani.

The hearing was delayed earlier in the day due to absence of Sharif’s lawyer Khawaja Haris appeared. Later, the court ordered the registrar office to fix the earliest possible date for hearing of the case.

The proceedings were adjourned for 10 days.

The deposed PM has challenged the accountability court decision of Dec 24 that sent him behind the bars for seven years with a fine. The accountability court judge Muhammad Arshad Malik sentenced Sharif to seven years in prison in the Al-Azizia reference case.

Sharif on Tuesday had filed a petition through his counsel at the IHC seeking early hearing of his appeal in the Al-Azizia Steel Mills case.

Khawaja Haris, counsel of the former PM, filed an appeal with the IHC. It reads: “The writ petition no. 32/2019 pertains to the suspension of sentence of the appellant and his release on bail pending final decision of the titled Appeal. It is requested that the writ petition be fixed at an early date.”

He further said that transparent trial was the right of every Pakistani.

The former PM was imprisoned for seven years in the Al-Azizia case, however he was acquitted of all charges in the Flagship Investment Reference.

Earlier yesterday,  the Islamabad High Court released an order on former PM’s plea stating that the writ petition filed by Nawaz Sharif  requesting bail in the Al-Azizia Steel Mills case, will be heard along with his first appeal challenging the court verdict in the case.