Islamabad 06 July 2018
The accountability court in Pakistan investigating Avenfield corruption case against Mohammad Nawaz Sharif, three times elected former Prime Minister of Pakistan has sentenced 10 years jail and eight million UK pounds fine, his daughter Maryam Nawaz Sharif is sentenced two years jail and two million pounds fine and Captain (Retd) Mohammad Safdar, husband of Maryam is sentenced one year jail.
Pakistan Muslim League (N), political party rejected Accountability Court verdict and regarded the decision as black day in history of Pakistan. Mohammad Shahbaz Sharif, President of PMLN and younger brother of Nawaz Sharif said that announcing of such verdict at this stage when general elections in Pakistan are about to hold is damaging his party.
Judge Mohammad Bashir of Accountability court announced his verdict in presence of both sides lawyers in a closed courtroom. The verdict was announced after five times postponement since morning today.
Earlier this morning of Friday at 1100 AM, Accountability Court dismissed Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz's plea for a seven-day delay in the announcement.
Three times ousted premier and his daughter had filed an application with a duty judge yesterday, seeking a seven-day delay in the verdict announcement in light of wife of Nawaz Sharif Begum Kulsoom Nawaz's health.
The Sharif matriarch has been in London since last year, when she was diagnosed with cancer. She was recently placed on a ventilator and her condition remains more or less unchanged.
Receiving Nawaz and Maryam's application yesterday, duty judge Mohammad Arshad had issued notices to the prosecution wing of NAB, and left it up to Judge Bashir to decide on the application.
Four members of the Sharif family ─ Nawaz, Maryam, Hassan and Hussain ─ are in London, while Captain Safdar is in Pakistan, but is not present in court. PML-N leader Asif Kirmani, however, did show up in court this morning.
The Avenfield reference pertains to purchase of four flats in Avenfield House, Park Lane, London was among the three cases filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) against the former premier and his children disqualifying Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on 28 July 2017.
Former Prime Minister Mohammad Nawaz Sharif was elected by people of Pakistan three times with majority votes, two times his government was toppled including once by Pakistan's military ruler Gen. Pervez Musharaf and third time in 2017 on Pakistan's superior courts orders.
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