Maryam’s triumphs

The IHC decision is more than simply a political and legal victory for the PML-N and
Maryam Nawaz; it also means that Maryam can now be a legitimate electoral player in the
country. Whether she goes into electoral politics directly is something she and her party
will have to decide.
The Islamabad High Court overturned Maryam Nawaz and her husband, Captain Safdar's
conviction in the Avenfield case on Thursday, in what some see as a rightful reset of justice. The
hearing was presided over by a two-member bench consisting of Justice Aamer Farooq and
Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani. Too many people, both inside and outside the PML-N, what
happened in the Avenfield case in 2018 was a mockery of justice. Many in the legal world
thought the case against Nawaz was weak, but the case against Maryam and Safdar made no
sense. Maryam Nawaz was eventually granted bail in the Avenfield case because the IHC voiced
concerns about how NAB handled the investigation, failing to determine whether the apartments
were purchased in 1993 or 2006. They couldn't ascertain Nawaz Sharif's income in that year or
whether it was a case of assets beyond his means unless they answered this crucial issue.
The Avenfield case had come to be perceived as part of an aggressive anti-Sharif family
campaign spearheaded by NAB over the previous 2-3 years, which eventually opened the ground
for the Sharif House to contest the 2018 elections on the back foot, weakened and broken for the
most part. Maryam Nawaz was unable to campaign in the 2018 election due to her conviction.
But yesterday's decision changes everything. The IHC decision is more than simply a political
and legal victory for the PML-N and Maryam Nawaz; it also means that Maryam can now be a
legitimate electoral player in the country. Whether she goes into electoral politics directly is
something she and her party will have to decide, given the current strategic situation the PML-N
finds itself in with the establishment, but the verdict means there is no barrier to her contesting
an election now, no "convict" label hanging over her head.
The IHC decision can also be interpreted as another look at how the NAB employed weak and
flimsy cases to target those who were not in the PTI government's good graces. The case against
Maryam Nawaz was deemed weak by attorneys and political entities alike, not due to a lack of
effort by the NAB but because the basis upon which it was based was deemed flawed from the
start. At a time when Project Imran has backfired spectacularly and the folly of pursuing short-
term gains has become painfully clear, one hopes that Pakistan's democracy, economy, media,
and society are not manipulated in the same way again for decisions that will leave the entire
country reeling for years. That is why it is hilarious to hear PTI supporters refer to the IHC
verdict as "NRO II" because all it does is remedy a wrong, which transparent accountability
should uphold. Most importantly, none of this should detract from genuine accountability efforts,
ones free of vendettas and political witch hunts. The political arena is already boiling over with
threats of further audio leaks and a PTI whose three years in power are soon unraveling in all its
angry glory.
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