ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday suspended the imprisonment sentence of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law Capt (r) Safdar in the Avenfield properties reference and ordered their release. All three were released from Adiala Jail later in the evening. A divisional bench of the IHC comprising Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb announced the judgment on appeals of the convict persons who had challenged the decision of the accountability court against them. “The respective sentences awarded to the petitioners by the accountability court Islamabad shall remain suspended till the final adjudication of the appeals filed by the petitioners. The same shall be released on bail, subject to furnishing bail bonds in the sum of Rs 500,000 each with one surety each in like amount to the satisfaction of Deputy Registrar (Judicial) of this court,” the verdict read by Justice Athar Minallah stated. The accountability court had awarded 10 years imprisonment and fine to Nawaz Sharif, seven years to Maryam Nawaz and one-year jail term to Capt (r) Safdar on July 6 in the Avenfield properties case. The accused persons had challenged their sentence before the IHC’s divisional bench. Earlier during the proceedings, National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Prosecutor Akram Qureshi argued that the accused had adopted the stance before the Supreme Court that the Gulf Steel Mills was sold in 1978 and such agreement was signed between Tariq Shafi and Abdullah Qaid Ahli. The accused were of the view that the further 25% shares of the steel mills were sold in 1980 against an amount of 12 million AED and that the money was invested in business with a Qatri prince, he said, adding that according to the accused the London flats were purchased on the basis of the same money. The NAB prosecutor said that the Gulf Steel Mills agreement was proved as fake during the investigation process and the department did not find any record in Dubai in that regard. Addressing the NAB prosecutor, Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb remarked, “You do not belong to joint investigation team (JIT). There is a big difference between NAB and JIT.” Akram Qureshi said that Nawaz Sharif had established this property on the name of his daughter. The former prime minister was the actual owner of the flats, he argued. Justice Athar Minallah observed that how the bench could assume Nawaz Sharif as owner of London flats while the NAB could not prove his connection with that property. He asked the prosecutor to produce any evidence that proved former prime minister as owner of the flats. He remarked that Nawaz Sharif’s role could not be seen in property even after a high-level investigation. The NAB prosecutor argued that Maryam Nawaz was the beneficial owner till 2012 and later on she was made as trustee through a fake trust deed. The Calibri font was used in that trust deed that was not even available in the market at that time, he said. Justice Miangul Hassan remarked, “If Maryam Nawaz produced fake documents then why she was awarded sentence on allegation of assets beyond sources of income.” On a query by the bench, Akram Qureshi informed the court that Maryam Nawaz was 20-year-old in 1993. The bench asked if Nawaz Sharif purchased flats in 1993, then why a reference was made against his daughter. During arguments, the NAB prosecutor said the burden of proof regarding the foreign assets was on shoulders of the accused. After the NAB prosecutor concluded his arguments, Additional Prosecutor General Jahanzeb Bharwana gave short arguments. As the both sides concluded their arguments, the court reserved its judgment and later ordered for suspension of sentence of the accused persons till final verdict in the appeals. Published in Daily Times, September 20th 2018.