ISLAMABAD – The supreme court on Tuesday hinted at overturning the verdict of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) pertaining to the suspension of the sentences awarded to members of Sharif family in the Avenfield verdict.
A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar heard a petition filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) challenging the IHC verdict.
Khawaja Harris appeared in the court on the behalf of the Sharifs while Akram Qureshi represented the anti-graft buster in the case.
During the hearing, the top judge remarked: “In the prima facie, there seems no other way apart from suspending the ruling of the high court”.
The chief justice asked Haris to tell about the flaws in the verdict given by the accountability court awarding jail terms to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law Captain (r) Safdar.
To this, the counsel for Sharif replied that the net worth of assets owned by his clients was not mentioned by the NAB, adding that onus of evidence lies on investigators.
Later, the top judge directed Haris to come with preparation in next hearing on Nov 12 and adjourned the case.
NAB had moved the apex court last month challenging the Islamabad High Court (IHC) verdict in which sentences awarded to the former prime minister, his daughter and son-in-law were suspended.
https://en.dailypakistan.com.pk/headline/ihc-to-announce-much-awaited-verdict-on-sharifs-petition-against-avenfield-reference-conviction/
The anti-graft buster in its appeals pleaded the court that the high court did not correctly examine the evidence in the case and hence its decision was liable to be declared null and void.
A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar had taken up the appeal of the anti-graf buster and issued notices to the accused.
https://en.dailypakistan.com.pk/headline/sc-to-hear-nab-pleas-against-suspension-of-sharifs-jail-term-today/
The bench had observed that it would not take notice of the appeal against Safdar’s sentence suspension, since his prison term was only one year.
The members of the Sharif family were released from jail in September after the IHC suspended their sentences.
The IHC’s division bench comprising Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb allowed the petitions of the Sharif family members against the accountability court’s judgment in the Avenfield reference.
They were sentenced by an accountability court in July after being found guilty of corrupt practices related to the ownership of four luxury flats in central London.
