NAB moves IHC to cancel Maryam, Safdar's bail

ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Tuesday moved a new petition in the Islamabad High Court (SHC) seeking cancellation of the bail granted to PML-N vice president Maryam Nawaz and her husband Capt (retd) Mohammad Safdar in the Avenfield Apartment reference.

The corruption watchdog moved the petition on the “grounds of misuse of concession of bail, abuse of process of law, hampering administration of justice, resorting to unwarranted tactics, and harassment of NAB personnel.”

 

The bureau stated that the accused have “deliberately and maliciously” misused the bail concession. Therefore, it pleaded with the court to rescind the bail of the PML-N leader and her husband.

A two-judge bench comprising Justice Aamir Farooq and Justice Mohsin Kiyani will take up appeals of Maryam and Safdar against their conviction in the Avenfield Apartment case tomorrow (Wednesday).

The NAB petition will also come up for hearing tomorrow, the IHC registrar said.

On July 6, 2018, Accountability Judge Mohammad Bashir handed former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and her husband Capt (retd) Safdar jail terms of 10, seven and one years, respectively, in the Avenfield Apartment reference.

They had moved appeals in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) assailing the conviction. The high court on Sept 18 the same year suspended their sentence and ordered their release on bail.

Last week, Maryam Nawaz filed a fresh application along with new facts with the IHC seeking annulment of the Avenfield verdict.