Connect with us

Politics

IHC directs NAB to show evidence that Nawaz Sharif acquired properties in London

Published

2 years ago

on

  • A two-member bench heard the appeals in Avenfield case.
  • “Prosecution has to establish case beyond reasonable doubt,” IHC remarks.
  • Hearing of the case has been adjourned till September 29.

ISLAMABAD: Islamabad High Court (IHC) Justice Aamir Farooq Tuesday remarked that the proceedings of the hearing on PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz’s appeal against the sentence in Avenfield Apartments reference “cannot move further on the basis of assumptions”.

“National Accountability Bureau (NAB) should prove through evidence that these properties were acquired by [former prime minister] Nawaz Sharif in 1990s,” he said during the hearing today.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Farooq and Judge Mohsin Akhtar Kayani heard the appeals against the conviction of Maryam and Captain (retd) Safdar.

The bench inquired about the nexus between the two offshore companies and Nawaz, through documentary evidence, urging the NAB counsel to explain how Maryam “aided and abetted” her father in acquiring properties in London in 1993 or 2006 when the trust deed was signed.

To support his arguments, NAB special prosecutor Usman Cheema read the court’s decision declaring Nawaz an offender, and in response to that, Justice Farooq clarified that Nawaz’s appeal was dismissed because of his absenteeism and not on the basis of merit.

Justice Farooq also made it clear that any Supreme Court observation in the Panamagate judgment was not relevant to the decision regarding Maryam Nawaz’s appeal against her conviction.

He said that the NAB has to prove whether the prosecution proved the case against Maryam before the accountability court.

“We have to see how she helped acquire these properties,” Justice Farooq said, asking the NAB counsel how the apartments were acquired in 1993.

The prosecutor claimed that Maryam “aided, abetted and assisted” her father in acquiring the properties in 2006.

The judge asked: “You said that Nawaz bought the properties in 1993, then how did she assist him in 2006?”

Justice Kayani observed that Maryam has not said on any occassion that the property belonged to her, or that she owned it. “Minus the trust deed and Calibri font issue, and move on to the actual case regarding the properties acquired in 1993,” he added.

He said that it was “basic criminal law” that the prosecution must establish its case using evidence even if the accused has admitted to committing the crime.

The judge inquired what evidence the prosecution had to prove the case against Nawaz. “The prosecution has to establish the case beyond a reasonable doubt,” he said.

“Who made the payment to acquire the properties in 1993?” the IHC judge asked, adding that “NAB has to prove that the payment to acquire these properties came from Nawaz.”

The hearing of the case has been adjourned until September 29.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest News

The Supreme Court has granted the appeal of the PTI founder for a judicial probe into the events of May 9.

Published

2 days ago

on

By

The Supreme Court has officially accepted the plea submitted by the PTI chairman for a judicial probe into the events of May 9 for a comprehensive hearing.

The constitutional bench of the Supreme Court annulled the registrar’s office’s objections to the petition and instructed the office to allocate a case number and arrange the hearing.

The PTI chairman was represented by prominent attorney Hamid Khan, who appeared in court to argue for the petition’s admission.

The Lahore Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) already convicted Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan in connection with the incidents on May 9 and denied his bail on eight distinct counts.

The court’s finding was delivered in a six-page written order by ATC Judge Manzar Ali Gul.

The written ruling emphasized substantial evidence against the PTI founder, comprising audio and visual recordings of his directives to incite violence.

The court observed that witnesses had provided testimony on the conspiracy planned by Imran Khan at Zaman Park, where he purportedly strategized for his possible arrest by intending to disrupt state functions via his supporters.

Imran Khan’s legal counsel contended that he was in custody at the time of the incidents, proposing that bail be granted in accordance with precedents where bail was awarded in like circumstances following detention.

Nevertheless, the court rejected this argument, underscoring that the case’s nature was not a trifling issue of conspiracy or incitement.

The prosecution established that Mr. Khan had explicitly incited assaults on military and governmental facilities and had galvanized both his commanders and supporters to adhere to his directives.

The decision additionally cited the Lahore High Court’s finding regarding a prior release granted to Ijaz Chaudhry, highlighting Imran Khan’s involvement in the conspiracy. The court dismissed the defense’s challenge over the prosecution’s lack of specificity concerning the date, time, or location of the purported conspiracy, affirming that the scheme was allegedly devised on May 7 and May 9 at Zaman Park.

The prosecution asserts that undercover police officers, masquerading as PTI supporters, intercepted discussions outlining the scheme.

Continue Reading

Latest News

188 cases nationwide have been filed against the PTI founder.

Published

6 days ago

on

By

This increase, according to details, followed the submission of a report to the Islamabad High Court in response to a petition brought by Norin, the sister of the PTI founder.

Punjab has the most cases against Imran Khan (99), according to the Ministry of Interior’s report that breaks down the cases by area.

There are 76 cases in Islamabad, according to the Islamabad Police data, compared to two in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

In addition, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) is investigating three instances, while the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) is still investigating seven cases.

Cases against Imran Khan also concern the protests in October, November, and December. In addition, there is an ongoing appeal in the Toshakhana criminal case against his sentencing.

Yesterday, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder along with 60 other PTI leaders were indicted in the GHQ attack case.

Imran Khan and sixty other party leaders were charged in the GHQ attack case by Judge Amjad Ali Shah of the anti-terrorism court.

Imran Khan, who is presently detained at Adiala Jail, was released on bail in the Toshakhana case but was arrested again by the police in the New Town PS case.

Continue Reading

Latest News

There are now 76 cases against PTI founder Imran in Islamabad.

Published

7 days ago

on

By

76 complaints have been filed against the founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in the federal capital, according to a report provided to the court by the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) police.

The article claims that after the D-Chowk demonstration, 14 more complaints were filed against him, increasing the total number of cases that had been brought against him before.

A plea submitted by his sister, Noreen Niazi, asking for information on cases filed against the PTI founder was dismissed by the Islamabad High Court.

In court, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) provided case data, while the Interior Secretary provided reports on cases from Sindh, Balochistan, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Once all pertinent information was submitted, the court adjourned and dismissed Noreen Niazi’s

Continue Reading

Trending