ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) has fixed the date to hear the petition filed by National Accountability Bureau (NAB) challenging the September 19, 2018 ruling of Islamabad High Court (IHC) Wednesday (tomorrow).
The verdict of IHC, which suspended the prison term of Sharif family accorded by a trial court in Avenfield reference, was challenged by the NAB in the apex court on Monday.
According to details, the Chief Justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar has constituted a bench to hear the NAB’s appeal tomorrow.
NAB’s special prosecutor Akram Qureshi, who filed the petition in the Supreme Court, contended in the appeal that “the IHC had failed to appreciate that through its order, it had seriously prejudiced the case of the prosecution by holding that the trial court judgement suffered from obvious and glaring defects and infirmities and that the convictions and sentences handed down to the accused might not be sustained ultimately.”
The anti-graft watchdog prayed the top court to nullify the IHC order and restore the sentences awarded to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law retired captain Mohammad Safdar.
The bail granted to all the accused in the corruption reference by the High court should be cancelled, the plea further requested the apex court.
The Supreme Court will take up the NAB’s petition tomorrow.
IHC verdict
On September 19, the Islamabad High Court suspended the prison sentences handed to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law Mohammad Safdar in the Avenfield corruption reference.
An IHC division bench, while hearing the appeals by the Sharifs and Capt Safdar against the July 6 accountability court verdict. The judges accepted the convicts’ petitions against the Avenfield verdict, ruling that the sentences would remain suspended until the final judgement on their appeals.
An accountability court on July 6, had handed Nawaz Sharif 10 years as jail time for owning assets beyond income and 1 year for not cooperating with NAB in the Avenfield properties corruption reference filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
His daughter Maryam Nawaz was given 7 years for abetment, and her husband Captain (retd) Safdar was given 1 year for non-cooperation with the anti-graft authority.
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