ISLAMABAD: The Former premier Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law, Captain (r) Safdar Awan filed an appeal against the verdict on the Avenfield corruption case in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday.
The appeal has asked for the review of the legal case and has requested that the verdict be declared null because of the legal flaws associated with the verdict. It has also called for the release of the three prisoners on bail.
The appeal further reads that the Panama Joint Investigation Team (JIT) head and the prosecution’s main witness Wajid Zia has himself confessed that the court gave no response to the request of Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) and to made accusation without giving a response to the request, that was unfounded.
Maryam Nawaz’s legal counselor said today that the verdict was not in accordance with law and he expects that their appeal will be heard as their case is on merit and a release on bail will be possible. Nawaz and Maryam landed at the Lahore Airport on Friday and were arrested there and then and transferred to the Adiala Jail. Maryam’s appeal was drafted on Saturday, however, her lawyers were unable to submit it in time because court closes at 1 PM during summers.
Nawaz Sharif and others were found guilty by the accountability court and was sentenced 11 years in prison and fined £8 million. Maryam Nawaz has been sentenced to 8 years in prison and was fined £2 million. Her husband Captain (r) Safdar Awan has been sentenced to one year in prison and has not been fined.
The Sharif family has been on trial since September 14, 2017. The Avenfield verdict was announced on July 6th, after four extensions in the initial six month deadline to conclude all corruption cases against the Sharif family. Nawaz’s sons, Hasan and Hussain, who have yet to return to Pakistan to face prosecution are involved in all three corruption cases while Maryam and Captain Safdar were only involved in the Avenfield case.
