Avenfield reference: IHC rejects NAB's plea against Maryam Nawaz's fresh petition

ISLAMABAD – The Islamabad High Court Thursday rejected the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) plea seeking quick conclusion of PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz’s petition.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani issued a written verdict over NAB’s plea seeking to conduct hearings on Maryam’s petition, seeking acquittal in the Avenfield reference, on a daily basis and conclude it within 30 days.

The written verdict, rejecting NAB’s plea stated that the NAB Ordinance’s Section 16-A involves the completion of trial within a month and there is no such law for concluding the petitions within the stated period.

“The plea was filed on the basis of a misunderstanding, hence, it is being rejected,” read the verdict.

It further stated that the counsel representing Maryam has completed the arguments favouring their petition.

The court issued a notice to NAB over Maryam’s petition.

NAB will give counter argument’s over Maryam’s petition at the next hearing on November 17.

On October 5, Maryam had filed a separate petition in the Islamabad High Court, seeking the annulment of the verdict related to the Avenfield Apartments reference.

Maryam has accused the incumbent ISI chief, who was DG of ISI's counter-intelligence wing at that time, of orchestrating the ruling against her.

Judge Mohammad Bashir of an accountability court had on July 6, 2018 convicted former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and her husband Captain (retd) Mohammad Safdar in the same case for holding assets beyond known sources of income.