Pakistan Anti-graft Body Moves SC Against Sharifs' Plea for Suspension of Corruption Case

Islamabad: Pakistan's anti-graft body has moved the Supreme Court against Islamabad High Court's decision to hear the appeals of jailed former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his daughter and son-in-law against their conviction in a corruption case, according to a media report.

Sharif, 68, along with his daughter Maryam, 44 and son-in-law Muhammad Safdar, 54, are serving jail terms of 10-years, seven years and one year respectively in the Adiala Jail after the accountability court convicted them on July 6 over the family's ownership of four luxury flats in London through illegal means.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Saturday moved the top court against the Islamabad High Court's (IHC) decision to accept the application of the Sharif family members for hearing their petitions, Geo News reported.

The petition submitted in the apex court by NAB Chairman Javed Iqbal stated that Sharif family members appeals against their conviction in the Avenfield property case and their bail pleas cannot be heard simultaneously.

According to a petition, the high court did not send the NAB a notice before accepting the Sharif family's petition for hearing.

"The high court cannot rule on the Sharif family's petition without listening to NAB's perspective," the petition said.

The NAB chief said in his petition that ruling on the suspension application is not in the high court's jurisdiction and thus the IHC should be stopped from hearing the petition at all, the report said.