NAB Issued Notices On Sharifs' Pleas Against Avenfield Verdict

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) issued separate notices to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Tuesday on Nawaz Sharif's plea to transfer the remaining corruption cases against him to another judge as well as on the Sharif family's appeals against the Avenfield verdict.

Islamabad, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 17th Jul, 2018) : The Islamabad High Court (IHC) issued separate notices to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Tuesday on Nawaz Sharif's plea to transfer the remaining corruption cases against him to another judge as well as on the Sharif family's appeals against the Avenfield verdict.

However, the court dismissed their requests to stay the corruption trial of the remaining references, as well as the Avenfield verdict, till their appeals are decided by the IHC. Nawaz and family are thus likely to remain in jail until the election as the hearing was adjourned for the last week of July.

Moreover, the ongoing corruption proceedings against the former premier are likely to be adjourned until the IHC decides the case, as was stated by the accountability court Tuesday. A number of appeals have been filed by Nawaz, his daughter Maryam and son-in-law Capt (Retd) Safdar regarding the Avenfield case verdict.

The hearing went under way Tuesday as soon as IHC Justices Mohsin Akhtar Kayani and Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb entered the courtroom, which was packed to the brim. Nawaz's counsel Khawaja Haris, beginning his arguments, stated that the accountability judge has already given his verdict in one reference and thus cannot hear the remaining two references.

Justice Aurangzeb asked Haris if the judge has given an opinion on the other two references in the Avenfield judgment. Haris remarked that it is not about the judge's bias or personal grudge but about the fairness of the trial.

The bench then issued a notice to the NAB prosecutor with regard to Nawaz's plea to transfer the remaining cases to another judge, directing him to submit a response at the next hearing, scheduled for the last week of July.

Moreover, the court did not approve Nawaz's plea seeking a stay on the corruption proceedings until the court decides on his petition to transfer the cases and will hear the matter after NAB's response on it.

The bench then began hearing the Sharif family's appeals against the Avenfield verdict. After hearing arguments from Haris and Maryam's counsel Amjad Pervez, the court issued notices to NAB and also sought the complete record of the trial.

Haris then pleaded the court to stay the trial court's order till the appeals are decided. Justice Kayani remarked that NAB can be issued notices on the plea to stay proceedings as well. Haris informed the court that the Avenfield judgment states that it is normal practice that parents are financially responsible for their children whereas NAB's star witness Wajid Zia accepted during cross-examination that the Panama JIT could not find any proof that Nawaz's children were his dependents.

Meanwhile, Pervez informed the court that his client, Safdar, was only sentenced for submission of false evidence. The hearing was later adjourned until the last week of July, with the court not approving the Sharif family's request to stay the Avenfield verdict till the appeals are decided.

The court has summoned the NAB investigation officer and prosecutor at the next hearing to give arguments on the appeals and stay order pleas. Sources have said that the next hearing is likely to take place after the July 25 election, adding that it is also unclear if the same bench will hear the case owing to the judges' summer leaves.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leaders Raja Zafarul Haq, Senator Pervaiz Rasheed and Zafarullah Khan were also present in court during the hearing.