ISLAMABAD: The accountability court that passed the Avenfield reference verdict has issued arrest warrants for deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif, daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law Capt (retd) Safdar.

A copy of the judgment and arrest warrants are with the National Accountability Bureau. The process of arresting the trio has been initiated. The father-daughter duo are currently in London but Safdar is in the country.

The bureau also clarified the judgment announced yesterday and stated that the offence of amassing assets beyond known sources of income which prima facie come under the preview of National Accountability Ordinance 1999 are corruption and corrupt practice.

An investigation team has been sent to arrest Safdar after his arrest warrants were received. NAB is coordinating with Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government in the regard, NAB’s spokesperson confirmed.

Yesterday, in a verdict which will echo across the political landscape of Pakistan for decades, the accountability court hearing the Avenfield reference sentenced deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif to 10-years imprisonment and daughter Maryam to seven years.

The former prime minister’s son-in-law, Safdar, was also sentenced to a year in prison. Nawaz was further fined eight million pound sterling and Maryam was slapped with a two million pound fine. The court also ordered their properties to be forfeited in favour of the federal government. Maryam’s sentence includes a year in prison due to her involvement in the Calibri font scandal.

Nawaz was convicted under Section 9(a)(5) of the NAB ordinance, while Maryam violated Section 9(a)(12). The Avenfield properties will be confiscated as per the orders of the court. An extra year’s imprisonment under Serial number two of Scheduled offences under NAB’s law was given to the duo.

Interestingly, Nawaz has been acquitted under Section 9(a)(4) of the ordinance, which states “if he by corrupt, dishonest, or illegal means, obtains or seeks to obtain for himself, or for his spouse or dependents or any other person, any property, valuable thing, or pecuniary advantage” then the accused is corrupt. However, the former premier has not been charged for corruption.