IHC decides to lend Sharifs an ear

• Sharifs’ legal team given certified copies of Avenfield conviction appeals, as Maryam Nawaz refuses to shift to Sihala Rest House

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has admitted the appeals of the Sharif family challenging the Avenfield verdict and directed the Registrar’s Office to fix the case before any available bench in the last week of July.

Following the verdict that sentenced deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif to 10 years in jail and his daughter and son-in-law to seven and one year, respectively, the legal team of the Sharif family had moved the high court against the order.

A team led by Khawaja Haris and comprising Barrister Saad Hashmi and Zaafir Khan is representing Nawaz Sharif, while Maryam-Safdar duo is being represented by Amjad Pervaiz, Muhammad Aurangzeb and Naseem Saqlain.

During the hearing on Friday, the IHC issued certified copies of appeals and petitions filed by the Sharif family after their legal team had asked the court for the certified copies of all documents for the purpose of maintaining their record and discussing the case with their clients.

The written order also issued directions for preparing paper books for the appeals which should not exceed 100 pages each.

MARYAM DOESN’T WANT SIHALA:

Meanwhile, Maryam Nawaz reportedly refused to be shifted from Adiala Jail to Sihala Rest House, which has been declared a sub-jail.

According to reports, Maryam told the jail authorities that she would prefer to stay at the Adiala Jail with her father and husband. The jail administration wanted to shift the former premier’s daughter to the rest house as the jail lacks facilities for female prisoners, they added.

The jail administration had reportedly completed the arrangements to shift Maryam to the Adiala Jail in the last three days at a cost of Rs2 million.

Last week, a letter penned by Maryam was released by PML-N social media wing wherein the former daughter had refused to avail the ‘Better-Class’ facilities in the jail, saying that she would want to be treated as a common prisoner.

“I was offered to apply for the better class (B-class) facilities by the superintendent of the jail, as per rules, that I refused of my own will. This is purely my own decision, taken without any pressure from anyone,” read the letter.