In a dramatic twist to the ongoing Avenfield case, the accountability court has suspended the arrest warrants for the sons of PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif, Hassan and Hussain Nawaz until March 14th.
The Nawaz brothers have been declared absconders in the case and their lawyers filed an appeal for the suspension of the arrest warrants yesterday. The verdict was reserved and on Thursday, Judge Nasir Javed Rana announced the suspension of the warrants.
Political victimization or accountability process?
This latest development is a sigh of relief for PML-N as their leader, Nawaz Sharif, had been sentenced to ten years in prison in the same case. To recap, the Avenfield reference case pertains to the ownership of luxurious flats in London which were allegedly purchased with illegal means.
The former premier’s daughter, Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law, Safdar were also convicted in the same case. To recall, the now Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz was sentenced to seven years in prison and her husband, Safdar was handed one year in jail.
Hassan and Hussain Nawaz are currently residing in London and the court has ordered them to appear before it to face the charges. However, the Nawaz brothers have been avoiding returning to Pakistan, citing health concerns and political victimization.
Also read: PML-N’s Maryam Nawaz Becomes First Woman To Be Elected As CM Punjab
The suspension of the arrest warrants eventually bought some time for the Nawaz brothers. In the meantime, they are hoping to get some relief from the court. The case has been the subject of much political drama and media attention in Pakistan with the opposition parties accusing the government of using the accountability process to settle political scores.
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