SC rejects NAB appeals seeking Sharif family bail cancellation in Avenfield reference

Khudayar Mohla –
A five-member larger bench of the Supreme Court on Monday dismissed appeals of National Accountability Bureau that failed to establish a ground for cancellation of bail of Sharif family in Avenfield corruption reference.
On September 19 last year, the Islamabad High Court had suspended sentences of Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz and his son-in-law Capt. Retired Safdar in the matter to which National Accountability Bureau had invoked the apex court appellate jurisdiction.
Resuming hearing of the appeals, the larger bench led by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar and comprising Justice Sardar Asif Saeed Khosa, Justice Gulzar Ahmed, Justice Mushir Alam and Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel repeatedly asked from the Bureau’ prosecutor under what grounds IHC verdict should be set aside.
During the course of proceedings, Justice Sardar Asif Saeed Khosa observed that justice will prevail in the country saying there will be a fair trial in every case, adding Nawaz Sharif is behind the bars and there is no allegation about misuse of bail against him.
Justice Khosa was of the view the Islamabad High Court has itself observed that the observations were tentative and the main appeals were still pending.
The NAB prosecutor claimed that bail can only be granted in the case of ‘hardship’ to which Justice Khosa remarked imprisonment of a woman Maryam Nawaz in the matter in hand could be considered as ‘hardship’. Justice Khosa also observed that the court will not intervene in the jurisdiction of the high court but would like to give some comments in this case.
Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar observed that the government has yet to make special laws regarding white collar crimes cases.
The larger bench of the Chief Justice heard arguments of Sharif family’ counsel Khawaja Haris and the NAB prosecutor for 25 minutes after which the Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar then simply said, ‘dismissed’.