*ISLAMABAD: A two-judge bench of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesdayissued notice to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to submitresponse on appeals of ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his daughterMaryam Nawaz and son-in-law Captain (retd) Safdar against their convictionin the Avenfield properties reference.*
The division bench comprising Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kyani and JusticeMiangul Hassan Aurangzeb took up their appeals seeking to set aside theaccountability court judgment that awarded 10 years imprisonment to Sharif,seven years to Maryam and one year to Captain (retd) Safdar.
It rejected their plea to grant bail and issued notice to the Bureau tosubmit its reply to the application seeking to suspend their conviction.
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.
The court directed that the case be fixed for hearing in the last week ofJuly.
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.