{"id":15693,"date":"2023-10-19T08:03:05","date_gmt":"2023-10-19T08:03:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/ihc-grants-nawaz-protective-bail-in-avenfield-al-azizia-references-till-oct-24\/"},"modified":"2023-10-19T08:03:05","modified_gmt":"2023-10-19T08:03:05","slug":"ihc-grants-nawaz-protective-bail-in-avenfield-al-azizia-references-till-oct-24","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/ihc-grants-nawaz-protective-bail-in-avenfield-al-azizia-references-till-oct-24\/","title":{"rendered":"IHC grants Nawaz protective bail in Avenfield, Al-Azizia references till Oct 24"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div dir=\"auto\">\n<p>The Islamabad High Court on Thursday accepted PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif\u2019s plea, granting him protective bail in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1418326\">Avenfield<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1452815\">Al-Azizia cases<\/a> until October 24.<\/p>\n<p>It comes before the former premier\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1781272\">impending arrival<\/a> on Oct 21. His planned return to Pakistan would be after more than four years of self-imposed exile.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"media  sm:w-1\/2  w-full  media--right  media--embed  media--uneven\">\n<p>    <iframe class=\"nk-iframe\" onload=\"setInterval(()=&gt;{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)\" width=\"100%\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" style=\"height:400px;position:relative\" src=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/card\/1780872\" sandbox=\"allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>In July 2018, ousted Nawaz was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1418326\">handed 10 years in jail<\/a> in the Avenfield properties corruption reference for owning assets beyond known income and one year for not cooperating with the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), which was to be served concurrently.<\/p>\n<p>His daughter, PML-N Chief Organiser Maryam Nawaz, had also been sentenced to seven years in jail in the case but was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1712683\">acquitted<\/a> in September 2022 along with her husband retired Captain Safdar.<\/p>\n<p>The Al-Azizia Steel Mills corruption reference pertains to the case in which he was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1452815\">sentenced to seven years<\/a> in jail on Dec 24, 2018 and then taken to Rawalpindi\u2019s Adiala Jail, from where he was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1453509\">shifted<\/a> to Lahore\u2019s Kot Lakhpat jail next day. He was also fined Rs1.5 billion and US$25 million in the case.<\/p>\n<p>Nawaz was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1471981\">released<\/a> from jail in March 2019, following which he <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1517603\">left for London<\/a> in November 2019 after the LHC <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1517068\/lhc-allows-nawaz-to-travel-abroad-for-4-weeks-orders-govt-to-remove-name-from-ecl-sans-conditions\">allowed<\/a> him to do so. The IHC declared him a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1593682\">proclaimed offender<\/a> in both cases in December 2020.<\/p>\n<p>A day ago, PML-N lawyers had <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1782004\">moved the IHC<\/a> seeking protective bail for Nawaz in these two cases, with NAB Special Prosecutor Afzal Qureshi saying that the accountability watchdog did not object to pleas moved by the elder Sharif.<\/p>\n<p>Today, IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Miangul Hasan Aurangzeb took up the pleas.<\/p>\n<p>Nawaz\u2019s counsels, including former law minister Azam Nazir Tarar and Amjad Pervaiz, appeared before the court while NAB prosecutors Rana Maqsood, Qureshi and Naeem Sanghera were also present.<\/p>\n<p>At the outset of the hearing, Sanghera presented his arguments in favour of the PML-N supremo, at which the chief justice asked, \u201cHas the NAB\u2019s stance changed?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The prosecutor replied, \u201cNAB\u2019s stance is the same.\u201d He went on to recall that the IHC had written in its order that when the petitioner returns, he could \u201crestore his appeal\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Justice Farooq once again asked, \u201cWe had asked the same \u2014 what was NAB\u2019s stance? There hasn\u2019t been any change in it?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The prosecutor responded, \u201cThis is the stance for now that if he comes back, we have no objection to it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The chief justice then inquired, \u201cWho have you taken directions from?\u201d To this, Sanghera answered that he had taken directives from the NAB prosecutor general.<\/p>\n<p>Justice Farooq then directed him to submit a statement in written form to the court that the NAB had no objection to Nawaz\u2019s return.<\/p>\n<p>Subsequently, the IHC accepted the former prime minister\u2019s plea, granting him a protective bail and restraining the police from arresting him upon his arrival at the airport on October 21 (Saturday).<\/p>\n<p>Justice Farooq and Justice Aurangzeb observed that NAB had no issue with Nawaz being granted a protective bail and issued directives barring the police from arresting him till October 24.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe honourable Islamabad High Court has granted Nawaz Sharif protective bail until October 24,\u201d Pervaiz told <em>AFP<\/em> after the hearing. \u201cHe can not be arrested on his arrival,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<p>Tarar also confirmed the same to reporters that Nawaz got a protective bail, which ordered authorities not to arrest him until he himself appears before the court on October 24.<\/p>\n<h2><a id=\"arrest-warrants-in-toshakhana-case-suspended\" href=\"#arrest-warrants-in-toshakhana-case-suspended\" class=\"heading-permalink\" aria-hidden=\"true\" title=\"Permalink\"\/>Arrest warrants in Toshakhana case suspended<\/h2>\n<p>Separately, an Islamabad accountability court suspended perpetual arrest warrants issued against Nawaz in 2020 in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1537855\">Toshakhana reference<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The case accused him, former president Asif Ali Zardari and ex-prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani of receiving luxury vehicles and gifts from the Toshakhana \u2014 a department that stores gifts given to rulers, parliamentarians, bureaucrats and officials by heads of other governments, states, and foreign dignitaries.<\/p>\n<p>In June 2020, an accountability court <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1562984\">issued<\/a> non-bailable arrest warrants against the former premier in the case. Months later, Nawaz <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1574629\">challenged<\/a> the warrants in the IHC but <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1575596\">withdrew<\/a> the petition days later.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"media  sm:w-1\/2  w-full  media--right  media--embed  media--uneven\">\n<p>    <iframe class=\"nk-iframe\" onload=\"setInterval(()=&gt;{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)\" width=\"100%\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" style=\"height:400px;position:relative\" src=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/card\/1578894\" sandbox=\"allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>On Sept 10, 2020, he was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1578894\">declared a proclaimed offender<\/a> in the case, with an accountability court initiating the process to confiscate his properties and directing NAB to make his arrest through Interpol.<\/p>\n<p>The next month, an accountability court ordered authorities to seize the ex-premier\u2019s assets, including national and international bank accounts, agricultural land and vehicles.<\/p>\n<p>Following the Supreme Court\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1776008\/sc-orders-to-restore-corruption-cases-against-public-office-holders\">order<\/a> that struck down <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1703176\/nab-wont-be-able-to-probe-graft-cases-below-rs500m\">amendments<\/a> to the NAB laws and reopened graft cases against public office holders, an accountability court had also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1778483\">summoned<\/a> Zardari and Gillani in the same case last month.<\/p>\n<p>Today, Judge Muhammad Bashir took up a petition seeking the suspension of the warrants, where Qazi Misbah appeared as Nawaz\u2019s counsel while the NAB prosecutor was also present.<\/p>\n<p>During the hearing, Misbah urged the court to suspend the non-bailable arrest warrants issued against his client. He informed the court that the PML-N supremo wanted to appear before the court on October 24 as there was already a case fixed for that day.<\/p>\n<p>The judge then sought the record of the case. The lawyer argued that warrants against former finance minister Ishaq Dar were also suspended in a \u201ccase of similar scale\u201d. Assuring the judge that Nawaz would appear before the accountability court, Misbah argued that the NAB had not issued any arrest warrant against the PML-N supremo.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, the prosecutor informed the court that the former prime minister \u201cwas saying he wants to surrender before the court\u201d. He offered that the court may suspend the warrants till October 24 if the suspect wanted to appear before the court.<\/p>\n<p>Subsequently, the court reserved its verdict. It shortly announced that the warrants were suspended till October 24 and directed that Nawaz should appear before the court by then, otherwise, further action would be taken.<\/p>\n<p><em>Additional input from AFP and Reuters<\/em><\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<p><em>More to follow<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Islamabad High Court on Thursday accepted PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif\u2019s plea, granting him protective bail in the Avenfield and Al-Azizia cases until October 24. It comes before the former premier\u2019s impending arrival on Oct 21. His planned return to Pakistan would be after more than four years of self-imposed exile. In July 2018, ousted [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":15694,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/i.dawn.com\/large\/2023\/10\/191131525349ada.jpg?r=113350","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15693","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pakistan"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15693","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15693"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15693\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15694"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15693"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15693"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15693"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}