Islamabad High Court initiates proceedings to declare Nawaz Sharif an 'absconder' in Avenfield case

Islamabad High Court on Wednesday started proceedings to declare former Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif as an "absconder" in the Avenfield property case.

Last year, the Accountability Court had asked prime minister Nawaz Sharif's daughter, Maryam Nawaz Safdar, to appear before it.

According to reports, initially, advertisements will be placed in newspapers calling for Nawaz Sharif to appear before the court, and after 30 days in case Nawaz Sharif does not turn up, then he will be declared as an "absconder".

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had moved the Accountability Court for trial against former prime minister's daughter Maryam for presenting fabricated trust deed in the reference.

The court had earlier sentenced PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif to 10 years in prison and imposed a fine after finding him guilty on different charges in the Avenfield properties case.

Nawaz Sharif had earlier challenged the Accountability Court's verdict in the Islamabad High Court in the Avenfield reference case. Sharif had said he felt "targetted" and cornered" after the verdict from the Accountability Court.