The accountability court has found former prime minister Nawaz Sharif guilty and has sentenced him to at least 10 years' imprisonment, his daughter Maryam Nawaz to at least seven years imprisonment and her husband Captain Safdar to one year in jail.
Nawaz has also been hit with a hefty fine of £8 million pounds and Maryam for £2 million. There is no fine for Safdar.
The court has also ordered the confiscation of the Avenfield properties.
Read the story as it develops here.
Reactions
PML-N
On its official Twitter, PML-N rejected the court's decision
مسلم لیگ (ن) اس فیصلے کو مسترد کرتی ہے، شہباز شریف
— PML(N) (@pmln_org) July 6, 2018
In response to the guilty verdict, Maryam Nawaz tweeted that her sentence for her resistance against "unseen forces" was quite short and that her resolve has reached a new peak today.
پاکستان میں 70 سال سے سرگرم نادیدہ قووتوں کے سامنے ڈٹ جانے کی یہ سزا بہت چھوٹی ہے۔ آج ظلم کے خلاف لڑنے کا حوصلہ اور بلند ہو گیا۔
— Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) July 6, 2018
She also congratulated her father for "not being afraid, not bending [and] choosing Pakistan over his personal life," and that "victory will be his, God-willing."
شاباش نواز شریف! آپ ڈرے نہیں، آپ جھکے نہیں۔ آپ نے ذاتی زندگی پر پاکستان کو ترجیح دی۔عوام آپ کے ساتھ کھڑی ہے۔ فتح آپ کی ہو گی۔ انشاءالّلہ!
— Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) July 6, 2018
PML-N Chairman Shahbaz Sharif said, "This will be remembered as a black day in history," speaking soon after the Avenfield corruption reference verdict was announced. He also called the decision "flawed," "politically motivated" with "glaring loopholes."
Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) strongly rejects the verdict of the Accountability Court in the Avenfield case. History will remember this verdict in black words. The decision is flawed, politically motivated & has glaring loopholes.
— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) July 6, 2018
PTI
The PTI welcomed the decision with the hashtag #NextStopAdiyala
Nawaz Sharif sentenced to ten years imprisonment in Avenfield case! #NextStopAdiyala pic.twitter.com/Gg7ETOloSK
— PTI (@PTIofficial) July 6, 2018
PTI's Asad Umar also lauded the court's decision, saying "The victory of the law is the victory of justice and most of all, the Pakistani people."
قانون کی فتح انصاف کی فتح اور سب سے بڑھ کر پاکستان کے عوام کی فتح
— Asad Umar (@Asad_Umar) July 6, 2018
Dr Arif Alvi, PTI's Sindh president added that "justice has been served to the people of Pakistan."
Justice has been served to the people of Pakistan. A warning to all those who looted and plundered and to those who are in politics to stay away from corruption in the future. You cannot steal from the people of Pakistan and go free. Other too must be caught
— Dr. Arif Alvi (@ArifAlvi) July 6, 2018
AML chief Sheikh Rasheed took the big-picture view: "Pakistan is a big country. People may come and go, but Pakistan will always remain."
پاکستان ایک بڑا ملک ہے، لوگ آتے ہیں چلے جاتے ہیں، پاکستان ہمیشہ قائم رہے گا.
— Sheikh Rashid Ahmad (@ShkhRasheed) July 6, 2018
Analysts
Senior Dawn journalist asks, "Is it the end of Sharif political dynasty?"
Is it the end of Sharif political dynasty? https://t.co/Xr17n21Zol
— zahid Hussain (@hidhussain) July 6, 2018
A few months ago, analyst Adnan Rasool wrote a perceptive piece predicting what might happen to PML-N after the events of today.
Who will take the lead and what kind of agenda are they willing to work on?
Read here about what may happen next in a PML-N without Nawaz.
For more post-Avenfield analysis, read here.
