IHC to hear Sharifs' appeals in Avenfield reference convictions today
IHC division bench will hear appeals of Sharif family against Avenfield reference convictions today.
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – A division bench of Islamabad High Court (IHC) comprising Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb will on Tuesday (today) hear appeals filed by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law Capt (retd) Safdar against their convictions in Avenfield reference.
The court will also hear pleas of transfer of two pending National Accountability Bureau (NAB) references against Sharifs to another court.
During previous hearing of the appeals, the court had issued notice to NAB and also sought NAB’s reply in this regard.
On July 6, Accountability Judge Mohammad Bashir had convicted and sentenced Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz and Capt (rets) Safdar to prison in absentia for ten years, seven years and one year respectively, in Avenfield verdict.
Maryam Nawaz and Capt (retd) Safdar, who were candidates for the general elections 2018 were also disqualified from contesting elections for 10 years each.
The sentence and a fine of 8 million pounds, or US$10.6 million, came almost a year after Supreme Court removed Sharif from office and less than five months after the court barred him from holding office for life.
Nawaz Sharif was convicted under section 9(a)(5) of the NAB ordinance. The case stemmed from the Panama Papers leak that disclosed expensive and undeclared property owned by the Sharif family in London.
On the other hand, Safdar was arrested by the NAB in Rawalpindi on July 9 while Nawaz Sharif and Maryam were taken into custody by the officials few minutes after their flight landed at Lahore Airport on Friday night and shifted to Adiala Jail.
Accountability Court Judge Muhammad Bashir, who was present in the jail, issued warrants for imprisonment for Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz. A team of doctors conducted the medical checkup of both the accused and declared them fit.
Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz were then shifted to B-Class facility in Adiala Jail.
