*ISLAMABAD: A two-judge bench of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) adjournedtill Thursday appeals filed by former premier Nawaz Sharif, his daughterMaryam Nawaz and son-in-law retired Captain Muhammad Safdar against theirconviction in the Avenfield reference. *
The division bench comprising Justice Amir Farooq and Justice Gul HassanAurangzeb heard the appeals.
Justice Aurangzeb observed that the bench will proceed with the matter asper the country’s Constitution.
At the outset of the hearing, Justice Farooq asked a NAB prosecutor to putforward his arguments on the appellants’ plea for transfer of the pendingcases to another accountability court.
Prosecutor Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi requested the bench to first decidewhether the plea is maintainable or not.
At the previous hearing on July 17, the court had issued notice to theNational Accountability Bureau (NAB) on the appeals seeking to set asidethe accountability court judgment that awarded 10 years imprisonment toSharif, seven years to Maryam and one year to Captain (retd) Safdar.
It rejected their request to grant bail at that time and issued notice tothe Bureau to submit its reply to the application seeking to suspend theirconviction.
The bench directed the authorities concerned to present complete record ofthe Avenfield case on next hearing.
The judges also turned down a request by the appellants’ lawyer KhawajaHaris to grant a stay order, restraining Accountability Judge MuhammadBashir from proceeding with the two pending cases against his clients tillthe Bureau submits its response.
The counsel argued that the judge, who convicted Sharif, his daughter andson-in-law, cannot hear the other two cases against them as their argumentsin these cases are similar to the ones in the Avenfield case.
Citing the state through the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairmanas respondent, the appellants pleaded that their sentences be set aside forbeing “illegal and based on no evidence, and in violation of superiorcourts’ judgments.”
As an interim relief, they requested the court to suspend their sentencesand order their release from prison on bail until their appeals are decided.
Safdar was arrested on July 8 while the former premier and his daughterwere arrested on the night of July 13 exactly a week after their convictionin the NAB case.
Sharif along with his daughter landed at Allama Iqbal International Airportfrom where they were taken to Islamabad on a private plane before beingshifted to Adiala jail in a convoy of security vehicles.
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) arrested them as they returnedfrom London via Abu Dhabi to face prison. Judicial magistrate Wasim Ahmedexecuted the warrants issued by Judge Muhammad Bashir for their arrest.
On July 6, the PML-N supreme leader was awarded 10 years in prison, whilehis daughter Maryam and her spouse Capt Safdar were handed seven years’ andone year’s prison term, respectively.
Accountability Judge Muhammad Bashir ordered forfeiture of their propertiesin the Avenfield Apartments and Park Lane of London. He imposed a fine of£8 million (approximately Rs1,292m) on the former premier and £2 million(approximately Rs323m) on his daughter.