Nawaz, Maryam return to face graft trial

ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz arrived in the federal capital from London late on Sunday night to appear in an accountability court to stand trial for corruption charges.

Sharif along with his daughter and son-in-law Captain (retd) Safdar will appear before the court today when it resumes hearing of the Avenfield properties case against the Sharif family.

On April 20, the accountability court in Islamabad rejected an application filed by Sharif and his daughter seeking exemption from personal appearance in court for seven days and granted them one-day exemption.

On April 18, the former prime minister along with his daughter left for London to see his ailing wife Begum Kulsoom who is undergoing treatment for throat cancer.

Kulsoom was admitted to a London hospital earlier last week after her condition deteriorated.

In a tweet before leaving London yesterday, Maryam said: “At the Heathrow, leaving for Islamabad shortly. Will arrive in the wee hours to be at the court Insha’Allah. Goodbyes are always hard.”

During his stay in the UK, the former premier met Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and former finance minister Ishaq Dar to discuss the prevailing political situation and a caretaker set-up for the upcoming general elections.