Avenfield corruption case: Nawaz Sharif sentenced to 10 years in jail, Maryam 7 years

Islamabad, July 6: Former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has been sentenced to 10 years in jail for corruption, while his daughter Maryam Sharif has been given 7 years.

The verdict was delivered in one of the four cases of corruption against him - the Avenfield corruption case - related to the ownership of four flats in the posh Avenfield House in London.

Accountability Court-I Judge Mohammad Bashir announced the sentence today after several delays since morning. Nawaz's son-in-law Capt (retd) Safdar was given a one year sentence.

Sharifs had filed an application on Thursday requesting the court to delay the verdict in the Avenfield reference and grant a seven-day exemption in the wake of Nawaz's wife, Begum Kulsoom Nawaz's deteriorating health.

The accountability court on Friday dismissed Sharif's plea for a delay in the announcement of the verdict in the Avenfield corruption case against his family.

Sharif, who is still in London along with his daughter Maryam, had said he wants to hear the judgement of the case while standing in the courtroom where he "endured more than 100 hearings" with his daughter.

The counsel for the Sharif family had submitted applications in the accountability court seeking a week's delay in the announcement of the verdict in the Avenfield case.

The Avenfield case was among the four corruption cases filed against the former premier and his children by the NAB on the Supreme Court's orders in the Panama Papers case which disqualified Sharif. Apart from Sharif, Maryam and son-in-law Capt (retd) Safdar are accused in the case. Sharif's two sons - Hasan and Hussain - also wanted in the case, have been declared proclaimed offenders owing to their no-show.