KARACHI: Former first daughter Maryam Nawaz's first message appeared on social media on Saturday, for the first time since she was taken to Adiala prison.

The message was issued from Maryam's official Twitter handle, which read a couplet from progressive Urdu poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz.

The message was posted using the hashtag #VoteKoIzzatDo (respect the vote), the slogan former premier Nawaz Sharif based his election campaign on, before he was arrested a week ago.

The former premier and his daughter, who were convicted in the Avenfield properties reference, were arrested upon their arrival in Lahore on July 13 and subsequently taken to the Central Jail in Adiala, Rawalpindi. They have since been there.
جس دھج سے کوئی مقتل میں گیا، وہ شان سلامت رہتی ہے۔
یہ جان تو آنی جانی ہے، اس جاں کی تو کوئی بات نہیں۔
گر بازی عشق کی بازی ہے، جو چاہو لگا دو ڈر کیسا۔
گرجیت گئے تو کیا کہنا، ہارے بھی تو بازی مات نہیں۔#VoteKoIzzatDo #ووٹ_کو_عزت_دو
The message was posted using the hashtag #VoteKoIzzatDo (respect the vote), the slogan former premier Nawaz Sharif based his election campaign on, before he was arrested a week ago.

The former premier and his daughter, who were convicted in the Avenfield properties reference, were arrested upon their arrival in Lahore on July 13 and subsequently taken to the Central Jail in Adiala, Rawalpindi. They have since been there.
Nawaz was sentenced to a total of 11 years in prison and slapped a £8 million fine (Rs1.3 billion) while Maryam was sentenced to eight years with a £2 million fine (Rs335 million). Moreover, Maryam's husband, Capt (retd) Safdar, was sentenced to one year in prison.

The trial and references
The trial against the Sharif family had commenced on September 14, 2017 after NAB filed the Avenfield, Al Azizia and Flagship references.

On July 6, after four extensions in the original six-month deadline to conclude all three cases, the court announced its verdict in the Avenfield reference.

Nawaz was sentenced to a total of 11 years in prison and slapped a £8 million fine (Rs1.3 billion) while Maryam was sentenced to eight years with a £2 million fine (Rs335 million). Moreover, Maryam's husband, Capt (retd) Safdar, was sentenced to one year in prison.

Nawaz and his sons, Hussain and Hasan, are accused in all three references whereas Maryam and Safdar were accused in the Avenfield reference only.

The two brothers, based abroad, have been absconding since the proceedings began last year and were declared proclaimed offenders by the court.