Maryam makes a political show at every hearing: NAB

ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Tuesday filed a petition with the Islamabad High Court (IHC) seeking cancellation of bails of PMLN Vice President Maryam Nawaz and her husband Muhammad Safdar. The petition said Maryam had misused the bail facility and was making hate speeches against the NAB. The plea stated that ‘even the NAB office was attacked by the activists when the accused were summoned by the Lahore NAB office’. Such conduct of the accused could also build pressure on the prosecution witnesses, it added.

It said the accused Maryam Nawaz used to make a political show at every hearing and stuff the courtroom with her party’s activists and supporters.

“The accused turns the courtroom in a press club by giving interviews to journalists and vloggers, and after hearings she holds press conferences and gives comments against high-ranking officials and NAB.”

It further said the accountability court had announced 10-year imprisonment for former prime minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif with eight million pounds fine, 7-year jail to Maryam Nawaz along with two million pounds fine and one year imprisonment to her husband Muhammad Safdar on July 6, 2018 in the Avenfield property reference.

Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz were handed down one year each extra imprisonment sentence under schedule-II.

Nawaz Sharif was announced a total of 11 years, while his daughter was awarded a total of eight years jail by the trial court.

According to the decision, the sentences of the accused were supposed to be started together.

The accused were also disqualified from holding any public office and the court also ordered seizure of the Avenfield apartments.

The court decision gave the references of TV interview of Hussain Nawaz, Nawaz Sharif’s speech in the National Assembly, report of joint investigation team (JIT) and verdicts of the Supreme Court.

The petition said the accountability court had also declared Hassan and Hussain Nawaz as proclaimed offender in Avenfield apartment reference and issued their non-bailable arrest warrants on disappearance from proceedings.

The court decision said Hussain Nawaz had admitted the ownership of apartments.

Also according to the interview of Hassan Nawaz, the said property had been in their use.

The detailed judgment said Maryam Nawaz had become a tool to hide the wealth of her father.

She assisted her father Nawaz Sharif in committing the crime while her husband Capt (retd) Muhammad Safdar also helped in it.

The decision stated that the age of Maryam Nawaz in 1993 was 18 year, while Hussain Nawaz was 20 and Hassan Nawaz was 17, and that time they had no source of income to purchase the apartments.

Usually, the children used to be dependents on the parents.

Thus, Nawaz Sharif couldn’t claim that he didn’t pay money to his children.

The written decision said accused Maryam Nawaz was disqualified from holding any public office for a term of ten years.

It further said the accused never mentioned the letters of Qatari prince earlier as source of London apartments. The Qatari letter was not more than hear and say.

It added that the accused didn’t provide any assisting documents or direct evidence for source of this property.

The petition said the Maryam Nawaz and her husband’s appeals against their convictions were still pending with the IHC.

The accused had requested adjournments for five times in last eight hearings before IHC bench. The IHC had suspended the accused sentence on September 19, 2018 on their appeals.

The petition prayed the court to cancel the bail of Maryam Nawaz and her husband in the Avenfield reference.

Meanwhile, a division bench, comprising Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Mohsin Akhter Kayani, would take up the accused appeals tomorrow for hearing.

Maryam Nawaz had also filed a separate petition seeking her acquittal in Avenfield property reference under fresh grounds.

The NAB had previously requested the bench to decide the accused appeals within one month by conducting daily hearings.