Pakistan court orders Sharifs' release

In a major legal relief for former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law Muhammad Safdar, the Islamabad High Court on Wednesday suspended their prison sentences in the Avenfield corruption case and ordered their release.

A two-judge bench comprising Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb passed the order while hearing petitions filed by the three convicts challenging their sentences handed down by an anti-corruption court in July, Geo News reported.

The case relates to the purchase of four luxury apartments in Avenfield House, an upscale property complex in London. The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had accused the Sharif family of failing to establish the legitimate source of funds used to acquire the properties.

The accountability court had sentenced Nawaz Sharif to 11 years in prison, Maryam Nawaz to eight years and Muhammad Safdar to one year.

While announcing the decision, Justice Minallah said the court had accepted the petitions seeking suspension of the sentences. The bench also observed that NAB had failed to establish a financial connection between Nawaz Sharif and the London apartments, according to the report.

The court ordered the release of all three and directed each of them to submit bail bonds worth Rs 500,000.

The suspension of the sentences will remain in effect until the high court reaches a final decision on the appeals challenging their convictions and punishments.

The verdict triggered celebrations among supporters of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) inside the courtroom. Several senior party leaders, including PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif, Pervaiz Rashid and Khurram Dastgir, were present when the judgment was delivered and welcomed the decision.

Following the court order, Senator Chaudhary Tanvir submitted the required bail bonds for Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz and Safdar at the deputy registrar’s office.

Jail authorities said the three could be released on Thursday, provided the court's release order reached the prison authorities before the end of the designated lock-up time.

The ruling marked a significant development in the legal troubles surrounding the Sharif family and temporarily cleared the way for the former Prime Minister and his relatives to walk out of prison while their appeals remain pending.