ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC), on Thursday, granted one-day exemption to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President, Maryam Nawaz, from personal appearance on appeals in the Avenfield Apartment reference.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani heard an application filed by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif's daughter through her lawyer Amjad Pervez saying that she could not appear before the court as she had tested positive for the Covid-19.

During the hearing, the counsel submitted the application seeking exemption from personal appearance of Maryam Nawaz for one day, and informed the court that she is in quarantine and unable to appear before the court due to the Covid-19.

The application stated that non-appearance of the appellant is neither intentional nor deliberate but due to unavoidable circumstances and she would suffer irreparably, if the instant application is not allowed.

She also requested that the case may adjourned to a date after three weeks, so as to enable her to enter appearance before this court.

The IHC bench accepted her application seeking exemption from personal appearance for one day and deferred the proceedings till August 4.

Maryam Nawaz and her husband Captain (retd) Mohammad Safdar Awan had filed appeals against their conviction in the Avenfield Apartment reference.

The IHC had previously separated the appeals of Nawaz Sharif from the appeals of Maryam and Safdar and declared the former premier, a proclaimed offender, over his perpetual absence from the hearing.

On July 6, 2018, accountability judge Mohammad Bashir had convicted Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz Sharif, and Captain (retd) Mohammad Safdar Awan in the Avenfield Apartment reference and awarded them prison terms of 10 years, seven years, and one year, respectively. The court had later suspended their respective sentences.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021