Pakistan's checkered politics is entering a crucial phase today (Friday) as the accountability court conducting hearing in the Avenfield apartments reference against ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his family members is scheduled to announce its judgment today (Friday) after almost 10 months of proceedings and roughly 80 plus appearances of the former prime minister, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law Captain Safdar (retd).
Judge Muhammad Bashir reserved the judgment on Tuesday and issued notice to the accused requiring their attendance before the court on Friday.
However, the counsel for Sharif family on Thursday submitted applications to the accountability court seeking a week's delay in the announcement of the verdict in the Avenfield corruption reference citing Begum Kulsoom Nawaz's poor health as the reason for the family's bid to have the verdict postponed.
Opposing the postponement, PTI spokesperson Fawad Chaudhry said the decision on Nawaz Sharif's case should be on legal, not political grounds. "The justice system cannot wait for a single person and the law should be the same for the rich and the poor alike," he said.
In an interview with AAJ News, an eminent jurist Aitezaz Ahsan said that there is no provision in law for postponement of announcement of a judgment when notices had been issued. He said, "Nawaz family members are "Ladlay" and judiciary had been very lenient with them".
He argued that Nawaz family had failed to provide money trail for the purchase of very costly properties in London, therefore their conviction is written on the wall. He further stated that Nawaz Sharif wanted to delay the announcement of the judgment so that Maryam Nawaz was not disqualified before the general election.
In reply to a question Aitezaz Ahsan said that under section 10 of the NAB Ordnance 1999, (a) "a person who commits the offence of corruption and corrupt practices shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 14 years, or with a fine, or with both, and such of the assets and property of such person which is found to be disproportionate to the known sources of his income or which is acquired 'by money obtained through corruption and corrupt practices whether in his name or in the name of any of his dependents, or benamidars shall be liable to be forfeited to the appropriate Government. (b) Any person giving illegal gratification, or abetting, assisting or aiding a holder of a public office, or receiving or holding any property obtained or acquired by a holder of public office, through corruption or corrupt practices, or being a beneficiary of any asset, property or gain obtained through corruption or corrupt practices shall fall within the scope of this section and shall be liable to the same or a lesser punishment that may be awarded to a holder of a public office as may be deemed fit by the Court.