LHC moved to set aside conviction of Sharifs

LAHORE: A petition seeking annulment of the accountability court’s verdict convicting former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and Captain (retd) Safdar in the Avenfield reference was filed in the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday.

A non-profit organization, Lawyers Foundation, moved the petition, contending that the accountability court handed out sentences to three-time premier and members of his family on the basis of a law that has been rendered ineffective.

It stated that former military ruler Pervez Musharraf promulgated the NAB law in 1999, which was not endorsed by Parliament. As a result, the law has become ineffective after the 18^th 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.