LAHORE: Lahore High Court (LHC) Chief Justice Muhammad Yawar Ali has constituted a larger bench to hear a petition challenging the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO) 1999 and conviction of former premier Nawaz Sharif and members of his family in the Avenfield properties reference.
The larger bench comprising Justice Shams Mehmood Mirza, Justice Sajid Mehmood Sethi and Justice Mujahid Mustaqeem will hear the petition on August 8.
A non-profit organization, Lawyers Foundation, moved the petition, contending that the accountability court handed out sentences to three-time premier, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law retired Captain Safdar on the basis of the law that has been rendered ineffective.
It stated that former military ruler Pervez Musharraf promulgated the NAO in 1999, which was not endorsed by parliament. As a result, the law has become ineffective after the 18th amendment, it argued.
The petitioner, therefore, pleaded that the high court may overturn the accountability court’s verdict in the Avenfield reference.
On July 6, the accountability court sentenced former premier Nawaz Sharif to a total of 10 years in prison and directed him to pay a fine of £8 million after finding him guilty on different charges in the Avenfield properties case.
Judge Muhammad Bashir found Mr. Sharif guilty of accumulating assets beyond his known sources of income.
He handed out seven-year imprisonment to the former premier’s daughter Maryam Nawaz and a fine of £2 million. She has been awarded an additional one year’s imprisonment on charges of using Calibri font to fabricate Avenfield properties trust deeds.
Whereas, her husband Captain retired Safdar has been awarded one year’s jail term.
Moreover, the judge ordered confiscation of the Sharif family’s London properties in question in the case.
