The Islamabad High Court has formed a two-member bench to hear former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law Captain (r) Safdar’s appeals against their convictions in the Avenfield reference case. The bench comprises Justice Amir Farooq and Justice Mian Gul Hasan Aurangzaib. In 2017, the Supreme Court disqualified former premier Nawaz in the Panama Papers case. The court ordered the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to file three corruption references against Nawaz and his family. An accountability court sentenced the family in one of the three references – Avenfield. The former PM was awarded 10 years in jail and his daughter, Maryam, was awarded seven. Maryam’s husband, Capt (r) Safdar was also handed a one-year sentence in the case. All three are currently in jail. They have appealed against the decision. Nawaz and Maryam were arrested upon their return to the country on July 13. Published in Daily Times, July 29th 2018.