Avenfield reference: SC says IHC verdict against guidelines

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court issued a written verdict on Wednesday, two days after it dismissed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) appeal against the suspension of the Sharif family’s sentences in the Avenfield reference. Justice Asif Saeed Khosa wrote the five-page verdict dismissing the NAB appeals against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

In the verdict, it was stated that the appeal was against a person who was already in prison and the other party in the case was a woman. The law shows some leniency to women, it added.

The written verdict also criticises the Islamabad High Court (IHC) verdict, stating that the 41-page verdict by the IHC was against the guidelines. The apex court in its sentence mentioned that discussing merits of a case related to bail and to conclude the final result was also against the rules.

On Monday, the Supreme Court dismissed the NAB’s appeal against the suspension of the Sharif family’s sentences in the Avenfield reference. A five-member bench led by Chief Justice Saqib Nisar and comprising Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, Justice Gulzar Ahmed, Justice Mushir Alam and Justice Mazhar Alam Miankhel upheld the IHC verdict that had ordered suspension of prison sentences awarded to Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz in the Avenfield reference.

The NAB had approached the apex court after the IHC on September 19 suspended prison sentences of the Sharifs awarded by an accountability court on July 6. The accountability court had convicted Nawaz, Maryam and Safdar in the Avenfield properties reference and sentenced them to 11 years, eight years and one year, respectively, in prison.