ISLAMABAD - The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Thursday issued its written order in a matter wherein it had already acquitted Vice President of Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) Maryam Nawaz and her husband Captain (Retd) Muhammad Safdar in the Avenfield corruption reference.
A two-member bench of IHC comprising Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani issued its detailed written order of Maryam Nawaz and her husband Safdar appeals against their conviction in the Avenfield reference. The IHC bench has accepted their appeals after four years when Maryam and Safdar were convicted in July 2018 in the Avenfield apartments corruption reference. The IHC written judgment said, “We deem appropriate at this stage to write in the judgment that questions regarding the key documents in the case and linking the same to Nawas Sharif as well as appellant No. 1 (Maryam) were asked initially in November, 2021 and on multiple dates were repeated and as a result thereof even the counsels representing NAB were changed, but even till the last date of hearing the learned counsel representing NAB was unable to assist us on the issue.” The bench mentioned that allegation of corrupt and illegal practices (section 9(a)(iv) of the Ordinance) against Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif was turned down by the learned trial court and no appeal was filed there-against; the sole charge against Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif was of ‘assets beyond mean’. “In this behalf the assets of the companies as Avenfield Apartments were attributed to him, which according to the prosecution, were in the name of his dependent child i.e. appellant No.1. There is no direct or indirect proof that appellant No.1 was dependent of Mian Nawaz Sharif at the relevant time and the prosecution failed to establish the elementsof section 9(a)(v).