Accountability Court Judge Muhammad Bashir, renowned for convicting two former Prime Ministers, concluded his 12-year tenure and retired on Thursday.
Judge Muhammad Bashi began his responsibilities in the accountability court on March 13, 2012; Bashir has been instrumental in delivering verdicts in notable graft cases, marking his legacy with the convictions of Nawaz Sharif in the Avenfield case and PTI founder Imran Khan alongside his wife Bushra Bibi in the Toshakhana case.
His judgments also extended to sentencing Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and her husband, Capt (retd) Safdar, in separate cases. Over the years, Judge Bashir handled cases involving other prominent figures, including President Asif Ali Zardari and former Prime Ministers Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, and Yousuf Raza Gilani.
Following a recent judgment in the Toshakhana case, Judge Bashir took medical leave before his retirement. Concurrently, Special Court Judge Abul Hasnat Zulqarnain, responsible for sentencing Imran Khan in the cipher case, has taken a two-month leave, potentially delaying critical cases at the Islamabad ATC.
