LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday recommended the formation of a larger bench to hear the petition filed against the convictions of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz in the Avenfield reference.
The hearing of the case was conducted by Justice Ali Akbar Qureshi over a miscellaneous plea of Lawyers Foundation for Justice.
The petition filed by Advocate AK Dogar has termed all the steps of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) as ‘illegal after the approval of the 18th Amendment’.
He has requested the court to annul the convictions of both Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz.
“A three-time prime minister was convicted under the law which has been nullified,” added the plea.
He further said that the July 6 verdict has been attached with the petition adding that the accountability court should constitute a larger bench.
Justice Ali forwarded the file to LHC Chief Justice Muhammad Yawar Ali.
On July 13, the former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz and Captain (r) Safdar were convicted and sentenced to prison for 10 years, seven years and one year respectively, in the Avenfield verdict that is likely to further disrupt an already chaotic campaign for national elections.
Maryam Nawaz and Captain (r) Safdar, who were candidates for the forthcoming general elections were also disqualified from contesting elections for 10 years each.
The case stemmed from the Panama Papers leak that disclosed expensive and undeclared property owned by the Sharif family in London.
