ISLAMABAD: An accountability court on Friday (today) abruptly adjourned the hearing of three graft references against the Sharif family members and fixed Oct 19, as new date, for the indictment after lawyers staged a protest outside the court.

Maryam Nawaz and her spouse Capt Safdar have arrived at the court amid tight security and extensive protocol for the hearing of three graft references. She was accompanied by ministers, and senior PML-N leaders.

The former premier’s daughter had reached the federal capital on Thursday night from Lahore to appear before the court.

Sharif and his sons have been nominated in all three references, while Maryam and her husband have been named only in a reference related to the family’s London flats.

In the last hearing, the court had declared Hasan and Hussain Nawaz – Nawaz Sharif’s sons – as absconders, besides approving the bail of Maryam and Safdar after they appeared in court.

The court also granted bail to Safdar against a surety bond of Rs5 million and ordered his release.

He was taken into custody by NAB shorty after he landed at Benazir Bhutto International Airport along with his wife Maryam in the early hours of Monday morning.