ISLAMABAD, NOV 10 (DNA) – Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar on Friday formed a bench to hear the Hudaibiya Paper Mills reference against members of Sharif family.

A three member bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, comprising Justice Dost Mohammad and Justice Mazhar Alam Miankhail, has been set up following an appeal filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to reopen the case in the backdrop of Panamagate case.

The bench will start hearing on November 13, while Registrar Office has issued a notice to the prosecutor general of the NAB.

On September 20, the anti-graft watchdog submitted an appeal to the apex court seeking reopening of Hudaibiya Paper Mills case against Sharif family.

The plea has been filed against the verdict of the Lahore High Court, which had quashed the case in 2014, following the revelations made by a report of Panama Papers case Joint Investigation Team (JIT) that had also recommended that the case should be reopened.

Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his son Hamza Shehbaz have been made respondents in the case.

On July 28, the apex court while announcing the landmark decision regarding Panamagate case had directed the NAB to reopen the case.

In Panamagate verdict, the apex court had disqualified the former premier for concealing his job a UAE-based company, Capital FZE, owned by his son.

A trial of the Sharif family, including Nawaz, his children – Maryam, Hasan and Hussain Nawaz – and son-in-law Captain (rtd) Safdar, is being conducted by the accountability court in three graft references regarding London flats, Al-Azizia Steel Mills and other companies.

In Panamagate verdict, the apex court had disqualified the former premier for concealing his job a UAE-based company, Capital FZE, owned by his son.

A trial of the Sharif family, including Nawaz, his children – Maryam, Hasan and Hussain Nawaz – and son-in-law Captain (rtd) Safdar, is being conducted by the accountability court in three graft references regarding London flats, Al-Azizia Steel Mills and other companies.

The Hudaibiya Paper Mills was allegedly used as a cover up by the Sharif family to launder money outside the country in the 1990s through Ishaq Dar.

Apart from being in the good books of Nawaz Sharif, Dar’s role in investigating the money trail of the first family becomes more central as he spilt the beans regarding money laundering during the second stint of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif with respect to the case.

The Hudaibya Paper mills case was discussed extensively in the Supreme Court as well. Ishaq Dar had alleged before a magistrate back in 2000 that the Sharif brothers used the Hudaibya Paper Mills as a cover for money laundering during the late 1990s.