Pak SC dismisses NAB's "frivolous" petition against Sharifs' hearing suspension

The Supreme Court of Pakistan Monday rejected as "frivolous" the petition of the country's top anti-graft body 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.

The apex court also imposed a fine of 20,000 Rupees on the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

Sharif, his daughter Maryam and son-in-law Muhammad Safdar 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 anti-graft watchdog on Sunday moved the Supreme Court against the Islamabad High Court's decision accepting Sharifs' Avenfield verdict suspension pleas for hearing.

"The Supreme Court rejected a 'frivolous' NAB plea blocking the Sharifs' Avenfield verdict suspension pleas before the Islamabad High Court (IHC) and fined the anti-grant watchdog Rs 20,000," The Express Tribune 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 the 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.

Meanwhile, an Islamabad High Court bench hearing the Sharifs' pleas expressed surprise over the NAB challenging their September 10 order.

Justice Athar Minallah said that the NAB had placed no objection to the order and has now challenged it before the apex court.