ISLAMABAD: The accountability court on Friday sentenced deposed premier Nawaz Sharif to 10 years and Maryam Nawaz to seven years in the Avenfield properties corruption reference. Capt (retd) Safdar also sentenced to one year in jail.
With all eyes on the court, Judge Muhammad Bashir of the accountability court read out the 100-page verdict. The historic decision was to be announced earlier, but after multiple delays, the court announced the verdict in the presence of media personnel at 4:20.
Nawaz Sharif was also slapped with a £8 million fine while his daughter Maryam was sentenced to seven years with a £2 million fine.
Moreover, the court also sentenced Maryam to one year in prison for submitting false documents in court.
The court also ruled that the Avenfield apartments of the Sharif family shall be seized by the federal government.
Following the verdict, Maryam and Safdar stand barred from contesting the July general election from Lahore and Mansehra, respectively.
Following the verdict, the Election Commission of Pakistan stated that Maryam’s name will be removed from the ballot papers of the NA-127 constituency.
Moreover, after the hearing, NAB Deputy Prosecutor General Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi said the accused have 10 days to file an appeal against the verdict.
The former prime minster and his daughter were not present in the country citing Begum Kulsoom’s ill-health and Nawaz’s son-in-law Safdar was missing from court. The father-daughter duo had requested for a seven-day exemption, stating that they want to be in court when the judgment is announced. However, the plea was dismissed and the verdict was announced in their absence.
