IHC to resume hearing Sharifs’ plea for suspension of Avenfield verdict

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday will resume hearing pleas filed by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law Captain (retd) Safdar seeking suspension of the verdict in the Avenfield properties reference.

A two-member bench of the IHC, comprising Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, has directed National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Deputy Prosecutor General Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi to conclude his arguments in the case today.

Nawaz’s counsel concludes arguments in plea against Avenfield verdict

A day earlier, Nawaz’s counsel, Khawaja Harris, concluded his arguments after the bench rejected the NAB deputy prosecutor general’s request for more time.

Abbasi had sought time to provide paragraph-wise comments in line with the request of Nawaz’s counsel. However, Justice Minallah had remarked, "We cannot adjourn the hearing on these grounds.”

Nawaz, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law Captain (retd) Safdar, were convicted by accountability judge Mohammad Bashir in Avenfield reference on July 6.

The Sharifs had challenged their convictions in the IHC, highlighting the legal flaws in the Avenfield case judgment and asking for the accountability court’s verdict to be declared null and void, and the three convicts be released on bail.

The trial
The trial against the Sharif family commenced on September 14, 2017.

On July 6, after four extensions in the original six-month deadline to conclude all three cases, the court announced its verdict in the Avenfield reference.

Nawaz was sentenced to a total of 11 years in prison and slapped a £8 million fine (Rs1.3 billion) in the corruption reference, while his daughter Maryam was sentenced to eight years with a £2 million fine (Rs335 million). Capt (retd) Safdar was also given a one-year sentence without any fine.

Nawaz and his sons, Hussain and Hassan, are accused in all three references whereas Maryam and Safdar were accused in the Avenfield reference only.

The two brothers, based abroad, have been absconding since the proceedings began last year and were declared proclaimed offenders by the court.

On July 10, the Supreme Court granted another six-week extension for Accountability Court-I Judge Mohammad Bashir to conclude the remaining corruption references against Nawaz and former finance minister Ishaq Dar.