NAB moves SC against IHC hearing Sharifs' appeals against conviction
The Bureau prayed the apex court to cancel the IHCs judgement
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Saturday moved the Supreme Court against Islamabad High Court (IHC) hearing the appeals of the Sharif family members against their conviction in the Avenfield reference verdict.
The petition submitted in the apex court by NAB Chairman Javed Iqbal stated that Sharif family members appeals against their conviction in the Avenfield reference verdict and their bail pleas cannot be heard simultaneously.
The petition further stated that the IHC without notifying the federation conducted hearing of the Sharif family members appeals against their conviction in the Avenfield reference verdict and their bail pleas simultaneously.
The plea stated that the IHC’s Divisional Bench worked against the principles by not notifying the federation.
The Bureau prayed the apex court to cancel the IHC’s September 10 judgement.
NAB reservations over hearings
On Thursday, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) objected to hearings on former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law Captain Safdar’s appeals against the Avenfield reference verdict about them.
The NAB prosecutor while presenting his arguments before a two-member bench of the IHC comprising Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb and Justice Athar Minallah, said, “If daily hearings can be conducted on petitions against the verdict then there can also be daily hearings on the appeals. Defence lawyers should argue over the appeals for two hours daily.”
The prosecutor said, “If a sentence is more than three years then the punishment cannot be immediately suspended.”
The NAB prosecutor opposed again and said that the accountability court was not made party in the petitions which is why they are not maintainable.
On July 16, the Sharif family and Captain Safdar had filed pleas for the Avenfield verdict to be reversed.
Convicted and sentenced
On July 6, accountability court judge Mohammad Bashir had sentenced Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law Captain (r) Safdar to 10 years, seven years and one year, respectively, in prison due to the Avenfield properties case.
Maryam Nawaz and Captain (r) Safdar, who were candidates for the forthcoming general elections were also disqualified from contesting elections for 10 years each.
The sentence and a fine of 8 million pounds, or $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.
