Pak court gives no relief to Sharifs

ISLAMABAD : The Islamabad high court on Tuesday provided no relief to former premier Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and her husband Mohammad Safdar following their conviction in a corruption case and postponed the hearing of their appeals until after the July 25 elections.

The court issued notices to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in connection with their appeals challenging the verdict. The trio had also asked for the judgment to be set aside and the suspension of the order, as well as the transfer of two more corruption cases against them to another judge.

The court heard seven separate appeals filed by their lawyers. Three appeals were filed on behalf of Sharif, and two each on behalf of Maryam and Safdar.

The two-judge high court bench observed that since the court’s administration had not notified the division bench for next week, the appeals against the convictions of Sharif, Maryam and Safdar would be adjourned until the last week of July. Sharif, his daughter and her husband were convicted by an anti-corruption court for corrupt practices in the acquisition of four apartments in London. Sharif was given a 10-year prison term and Maryam, his political heir, was sent to jail for seven years.

In their arguments, the defence lawyers pointed to different flaws in the verdict. Sharif’s counsel Khawaja Haris said the judgment in the Avenfield apartments case did not mention the value of the flats or Sharif’s known sources of income. Without these values, how did the court assess the apartments were “beyond the known sources of income”, he asked.

Maryam’s lawyer argued she was accused of aiding and abetting Sharif.