IHC issues notices to Maryam, Safdar in Avenfield Apartment reference

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday issued notices to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz vice president Maryam Nawaz and retired Captain Mohammad Safdar in response to an application filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) seeking hearing of their appeals against the verdict in the Avenfield Apartment reference on a daily basis.

Days before July 2018 general elections, Accountability Court judge Mohammad Bashir had convicted former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz and Mr Safdar in the Avenfield Apartment reference and handed them jail terms of 10, seven and one years, respectively.

They had filed appeals in the IHC against the conviction. The court had suspended their sentences and released them on bail.

NAB is now seeking expeditious disposal of the appeals in 30 days.

On Tuesday, Deputy Prosecutor General of NAB Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi argued before the IHC that the National Accountability Ordinance had fixed a 30-day time frame for concluding hearings on appeals, but the appeals of Ms Nawaz and Mr Safdar had been pending since 2018.

An IHC division bench, comprising Jus­tice Aamer Farooq and Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, was hearing the application.

Justice Farooq inquired whether NAB desired daily hearing of cases other than the one against Ms Nawaz also.

Mr Abbasi replied that NAB wanted every case to conclude expeditiously. He, however, said that the application seeking trial on a daily basis had been filed in this particular case only.

The court adjourned hearing till October 6.