Avenfield Reference: Nawaz Sharif Sentenced For 10 Years, Fined £8m

Maryam Nawaz sentenced for seven years and Capt (r) Safdar for one year. 

Islamabad (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News – 6th July, 2018) The Accountability Court has finally announced its verdict in the Avenfield Reference after delaying it for four times since Friday morning.

According to the verdict, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif has been sentenced to jail for 10 years, his daughter Maryam Nawaz for seven years and Maryam's husband Capt (r) Safdar for one year.

Moreover, Nawaz Sharif has been fined £8 million in the case while Maryam Nawaz has been fined £2 million. The London flats will also be sealed, according to the verdict.

The NAB prosecutor general said that the Sharif family failed to provide a money trail.

The verdict was announced in a closed room in the absence of media, with only lawyers inside.

The capital administration had beefed up security in the Federal capital in view of the decision in Avenfield reference case. Armoured vans and prisoners vans were also placed at the court.

Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz could not appear before the court as they are in London with ailing Kulsoom Nawaz while Capt (r) Safdar was also missing and is reportedly in Mansehra.

Earlier on Friday, the Accountability Court had rejected former prime minister Nawaz Sharif's plea to defer the verdict in Avenfield reference. Former prime minister and PMLN supremo Nawaz Sharif had on Wednesday asked the Accountability Court to defer the verdict in the Avenfield case for some days, till the health of his wife improves.

The Accountability Court of Islamabad had fixed July 6 to announce its judgment in the Avenfield London property reference filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) against former prime minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and his children.

The court reserved its judgment after the two sides concluded their final arguments in the reference against Sharif family members. The court had conducted proceedings of the reference for nine months and twenty days.

NAB has nominated Nawaz Sharif, his sons Hassan and Hussein Nawaz, daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law Capt (retd) Muhammad Safdar in the Avenfield property reference. Hassan and Hussein Nawaz have been declared proclaimed offenders due to their continuous non-appearance before the court.

The trial court testified a total of 18 prosecution witnesses in the reference, including the head of Joint Investigation Team (JIT) Wajid Zia.

NAB filed its interim reference on September 8, 2017 in compliance of the Supreme Court's judgment in Panama papers case and a supplementary reference on January 22, 2018. The court indicted Maryam Nawaz and her husband Capt (retd) Safdar on October 19, 2017 and later the former prime minister through his representative Zafir Khan in the case.

Nawaz Sharif was also directly indicted in the corruption reference on November 8, 2017.