Maryam Nawaz, Captain Safdar gets acquittal in Avenfield reference

• IHC grants acquittal to Maryam Nawaz and Captain (retd) Safdar in Avenfield reference
• An Accountability Court nullified the conviction given to them
• The court asked the NAB prosecutor to prove the property ownership of Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz through documents not verbally

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday acquitted Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz and her husband Captain (retd) Safdar in the Avenfield reference against them.

An Accountability Court nullified the conviction given to the PML-N leader in 2018.

The court reserved the verdict a short while before announcing the relief for them.

At the outset of the hearing, Judge Aamer Farooq inquired the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) whether charges against Maryam Nawaz can be proved in the case.

The judge also remarked that the NAB failed to establish the link of the PML-N leaders in the Avenfield reference. On the other hand, Justice Kiyani said that opinion of an investigating officer (IO) cannot be considered evidence in the case.

The court asked the NAB prosecutor to prove the property ownership of Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz through documents not verbally.

The Case

In 2018, an accountability court declared Nawaz Sharif guilty in the Avenfield case and send him to prison for 10 years with a fine of £8 million.

Maryam Nawaz was handed out seven-year imprisonment for being instrumental in the concealment of Avenfield properties while her husband captain (retd) Muhammad Safdar was handed down two-year rigorous imprisonment.

She was arrested in 2019 and was later released on bail in November of the same year.

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