ISLAMABAD - The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Wednesday granted Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz and her husband Captain (retd) Safdar 15 days to arrange another lawyer in their appeals against their conviction in corruption references.
A division bench of IHC comprising Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani conducted hearing of the appeals and granted time to Maryam till September 23 to appoint a new lawyer in the case against her conviction in the Avenfield reference. In the beginning of the hearing, Maryam informed the bench that her lawyer Amjad Pervez has excused himself from fighting the case. She said that he has contracted coronavirus and he is not able to pursue the proceedings due to health issues. The PML-N leader said that she needed more time to appoint a new lawyer for the pursuance of the case.
Justice Aamer remarked that hiring a new lawyer is the right of everyone. Maryam requested the court to allow her one-month time to arrange a new lawyer as her legal representative in the case. The PML-N vice president also informed the court that she wanted to file a new petition in the court before speaking on the merits of the case. She maintained that the court should hear her petition before pursuing the appeals against the convictions.
She requested the IHC bench to entertain her other petition before deciding on the merits of the case. She said that she wanted to bring “new facts” to light by filing a new petition.
After hearing the arguments, the court said that hiring a lawyer is everyone’s right and she can file another petition anytime. Then, the IHC allowed Maryam to appoint a new lawyer and deferred the hearing till September 23 for further proceedings.
Maryam Nawaz and her husband Captain (retd) Mohammad Safdar Awan had filed appeals against their conviction in the Avenfield Apartment reference. The Islamabad High Court (IHC) had previously separated the appeals of Nawaz Sharif from the appeals of Maryam and Safdar and declared the former premier a proclaimed offender over his perpetual absence from the hearing.
On July 6, 2018, Accountability Judge Mohammad Bashir had convicted Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz Sharif and Captain (retd) Mohammad Safdar Awan in the Avenfield Apartment reference and awarded them prison terms of 10 years, seven years and one year, respectively. The court had later suspended their respective sentences.
In her appeal, Maryam stated she was convicted under Section 9 (a)(v) and (xii) of the NAO, 1999 and for the offence at Serial No.2 of the Schedule to the NAO, 1999, and sentenced to rigorous imprisonment for seven years with fine of 2 million pounds under Section 10 of the NAO, 1999 for the offence under Section 9 (a)(v) and (xii) ibid, and to one year simple imprisonment for offence at serial No.2 of the Schedule to the NAO, 1999, with stipulation that both sentences shall run concurrently.