NAB submits reply in IHC on Sharifs' plea for Avenfield verdict suspension

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GEO NEWS
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The anti-graft body requests the court to declare Sharifs' plea non-maintainable and turn it down. — Geo News FILE

ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Saturday submitted its reply with the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on the pleas of former premier Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz and Captain (retd) Safdar seeking suspension of the verdict in the Avenfield properties reference.

In its written, clause-wise reply, the NAB requested the court to declare the pleas non-maintainable and turn them down. The document, comprising 11 pages, was submitted by the anti-graft body's deputy prosecutor general.

The NAB also raised objections to suspension of sentences handed to Sharif, his daughter and son-in-law. It said the anti-graft body was not initially made a party in the pleas.

The NAB proved charges against the accused, while the accountability court also detailed reasons for sentencing in its verdict, the reply read.

It said that apparently there is no weakness or legal flaw in the accountability court verdict, noting that the appeals against the verdict are already fixed for hearing after the summer break.

The reply read that after the presentation of evidence by the prosecution, the burden of proof was on the accused.

It added that the accused did not present anything in their defence.

Nawaz, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law Captain (retd) Safdar, were convicted by accountability judge Mohammad Bashir in Avenfield reference on July 6.

The Sharifs had challenged their convictions in the IHC, highlighting the legal flaws in the Avenfield case judgment and asking for the accountability court's verdict to be declared null and void, and the three convicts be released on bail.

The trial

The trial against the Sharif family commenced on September 14, 2017.

On July 6, after four extensions in the original six-month deadline to conclude all three cases, the court announced its verdict in the Avenfield reference.

Nawaz was sentenced to a total of 11 years in prison and slapped a £8 million fine (Rs1.3 billion) in the corruption reference, while his daughter Maryam was sentenced to eight years with a £2 million fine (Rs335 million). Capt (retd) Safdar was also given a one-year sentence without any fine.

Nawaz and his sons, Hussain and Hassan, are accused in all three references whereas Maryam and Safdar were accused in the Avenfield reference only.

The two brothers, based abroad, have been absconding since the proceedings began last year and were declared proclaimed offenders by the court.

On July 10, the Supreme Court granted another six-week extension for Accountability Court-I Judge Mohammad Bashir to conclude the remaining corruption references against Nawaz and former finance minister Ishaq Dar.