ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Thursday objected to hearings on former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law Captain Safdar’s appeals against the Avenfield reference verdict about them.
A two-judge bench of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) including Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb and Justice Athar Minallah heard the pleas.
On Wednesday, Nawaz Sharif’s counsel, Khawaja Haris, and the counsel of Maryam and Capt (retd) Safdar, Amjad Pervez, concluded their arguments
NAB prosecuting attorney Akram Qureshi presented his arguments today.
As the hearing proceeded, the NAB prosecutor said, “If daily hearings can be conducted on petitions against the verdict then there can also be daily hearings on the appeals. Defence lawyers should argue over the appeals for two hours daily.”
Then, Justice Miangul told Qureshi, “We have heard your reservations, move forward.”
The NAB prosecutor said, “If a sentence is more than three years then the punishment cannot be immediately suspended.”
Also read IHC resumes hearing of Sharif family’s appeal against Avenfield verdict
At that point, Justice Minallah asked, “Has there been a daily trial in any other case? This case is different.”
Nevertheless, the NAB prosecutor argued, “This case is not different.”
He said, “The defence lawyers owing to their malafide intentions decided to present arguments over pleas challenging the verdict.”
Justice Minallah then asked NAB prosecutor to, “Present arguments on the suspension of the sentence first.”
Justice Miangul further said, “We have noted your reservations.”
Subsequently, the NAB prosecutor said, “My mother suffered a cardiac arrest a day earlier and if you permit I will leave the rostrum.”
Still, the bench asked him to continue presenting his arguments.
The NAB prosecutor opposed again and said that the accountability court was not made party in the petitions which is why they are not maintainable.
On July 6 accountability court judge Mohammad Bashir had sentenced Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law Captain (retired) Safdar to 10 years, seven years and one year, respectively, in prison due to the Avenfield properties case.
On July 16, the Sharif family and Captain Safdar had filed pleas for the Avenfield verdict to be reversed.