In Islamabad, the offspring of Nawaz Sharif, a thrice-enthroned Prime Minister of Pakistan, have formally approached the accountability court. Their objective: to seek the suspension of lingering arrest warrants entwined with three corruption references linked to the Panama Papers, facilitating their voluntary surrender before the tribunal on March 12, as per Dawn’s report.
Hussain Nawaz and Hassan Nawaz, employing the legal counselship of Qazi Misbahul Hassan, submitted a petition to the accountability court in Islamabad. Their plea? The halting of perpetual arrest warrants associated with the Avenfield Apartments, Al-Azizia, and Flagship Investment references. Accountability Judge Nasir Javed Rana took cognizance of the entreaties put forth by Hussain and Hassan Nawaz.
The legal representative apprised the judge of their residence status, with Hussain domiciled in Saudi Arabia and Hassan in the UK. Both were named as accused parties in conjunction with PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz, and retired Captain Safdar in these references. The counsel pointed out that the trial initiation transpired during their absence from Pakistani soil.
Advocate Qazi Misbah articulated that the intricacies of formal legal procedures remained elusive to them, emphasizing the state’s lapse in pursuing the due course for legal service. This encompassed the issuance of notifications, arrest warrants, and proclamations, as Dawn reported. He iterated that the decision to confront the trial proceedings before the court had now been made by Hussain and Hassan.
Per the legal representative, the scions of the erstwhile premier are poised to arrive in Islamabad on March 12. Their supplication to the court: a temporary suspension of the arrest warrants to facilitate their appearance before the tribunal. Importantly, both Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz faced conviction in the Avenfield reference shortly preceding the previous general election. The PML-N leader also faced conviction in the Al-Azizia reference in December 2018 but secured acquittal in the Flagship Investment reference.
Nawaz, Maryam, and her spouse, retired Captain Safdar, contested their convictions in the Avenfield reference before the Islamabad High Court. The three-time premier also challenged his Al-Azizia reference conviction. Yet, Sharif’s overseas sojourn and subsequent non-return led the Islamabad High Court to designate him a “proclaimed offender.” While situated in the UK, Maryam and Safdar pursued the legal matter, ultimately resulting in the Islamabad HC overturning their convictions.
Nawaz Sharif made his return to Pakistan in October of the preceding year, reviving his appeals against the convictions. This prompted the Islamabad HC to nullify his convictions in both cases, as reported by Dawn.
