SC to hear NAB’s appeal against suspension of Sharifs jail term on January 14

The Supreme Court (SC) has set January 14 the date for hearing National Accountability Bureau's (NAB) appeal against suspension of jail sentences awarded to ex-prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law Captain (retd) Safdar in the Avenfield case.

The hearing will be heard by a five-member bench headed by the Chief Justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar, local media reported. The bench will comprise Judge Asif Saeed Khosa, Judge Gulzar Ahmed, Judge Mushir Alam and Judge Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel.

NAB had filed a petition in the SC challenging the Islamabad High Court's (IHC) verdict in suspending the jail term given to the Sharifs. Nawaz was awarded 10 years, Maryam seven and Safdar one year of jail time. However, after serving their jail term for only a couple of months, the trio were released on bail after the IHC suspended their sentences.

In its petition NAB wrote, “IHC had failed to appreciate that through its order, it had seriously prejudiced the case of the prosecution by holding that the trial court judgement suffered from obvious and glaring defects and infirmities and that the convictions and sentences handed down to the accused might not be sustained ultimately.”