F.P. Report
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan has rejected the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) petition against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam and son-in-law Captain (retd) Safdar in the Avenfield Reference, on Monday.
Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) headed a five member bench comprising Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, Justice Mushir Alam, Justice Gulzar Ahmed and Justice Mazhar Alam. The bench heard the petition challenging the Islamabad High Court verdict in the Avenfield case which suspended the sentences of the Sharifs.
Last year on July 6, an accountability court had sentenced the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) supremo to 10 years in prison and imposed a fine of £8 million after finding him guilty on different charges in the Avenfield properties case. Judge Muhammad Bashir also handed out a seven-year imprisonment to Maryam and fined her £2 million whereas her husband Safdar was awarded a one year jail term.
However on Sept 19, the IHC suspended the sentences awarded to Sharif, Maryam and Safdar in the case. A division bench comprising Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb suspended their sentence in a short verdict. The verdict was announced in light of the petition filed by the trio, seeking suspension of the Avenfield verdict until a final decision is made on their appeals against the sentence.
Later, NAB approached the apex court challenging the IHC verdict releasing Sharif and his family members.
According to the Avenfield Properties reference, Sharif, his brood and his son-in-law had purchased four flats in Park Lane, UK, illegally. However, the deposed premier and his family members consistently claimed that the apartments were purchased through legal means.
They were jailed in a case stemming from 2016 Panama Papers revelations which showed that the apartments were purchased through off-shore companies.
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan will hear the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) petition against the suspension of the Sharif’s in the Avenfield reference today (Saturday).
A five-member bench led by Chief Justice Saqib Nisar and comprising Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, Justice Gulzar Ahmed, Justice Mushir Alam and Justice Mazhar Alam Miankhel will hear the appeal.
NAB had approached the apex court after the Islamabad High Court, on September 19, suspended sentences of former premier Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law Captain (retd) Safdar in the Avenfield corruption reference and ordered their release.
The Sharifs had petitioned IHC against the Avenfield verdict, after an accountability court on July 6 convicted Nawaz, Maryam and Safdar in the Avenfield properties reference and sentenced them to 11 years, eight years and one year, respectively, in prison.
The Sharif family had filed appeals for the Avenfield verdict to be overturned on July 16.
