IHC schedules hearing of Nawaz's appeal for Jan 21

High court could not schedule NAB's appeals for hearing

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court on Thursday scheduled a hearing on former premier Nawaz Sharif's appeal against the accountability court's judgement in the Al Azizia reference for January 21.

A two-member bench including Justice Amir Farooq and Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kiani will conduct the hearing on the appeal against the accountability court's judgement, and on Nawaz's petition requesting suspension of his punishment.

The high court on Wednesday approved former premier Nawaz Sharif’s petition and instructed the court registrar to schedule a hearing of his appeal against the accountability court’s judgement in the Al Azizia reference within 10 days.

A two-member bench including Justice Amir Farooq and Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kiani conducted the hearing on Nawaz’s petition.

During the hearing yesterday, Nawaz’s counsel requested the court to schedule the appeal hearing at the earliest possible date.



The high court complied with the request and instructed the court registrar to schedule a hearing of the appeal against the judgement within 10 days.

The court also instructed to schedule the hearing of the suspension of Nawaz’s prison sentence, along with the appeal against the accountability court’s judgement in the Al Azizia reference.

A petition submitted on Tuesday to the high court by Nawaz’s counsel Khawaja Haris maintained that former premier’s ‘basic human rights are being violated,’ hence a hearing on the appeal should be fixed at the earliest date possible.

The high court earlier announced that former premier Nawaz Sharif’s plea seeking suspension of the prison sentence will be heard along with the appeals against the verdict.

The accountability court had awarded a seven-year prison sentence to the former premier in the Al Azizia reference.

Nawaz had earlier filed an appeal against the punishment and also submitted a petition seeking suspension of the sentence.

Objections raised over NAB's appeal

The high court could could not however schedule National Accountability Bureau's (NAB) appeal in the Al Azizia and flagship references against Nawaz for hearing due to objections raised by the registrar office.

Objections were raised over incomplete documentation provided by NAB, by the registrar office hence the anti-graft watchdog's appeals could not be scheduled for hearing.

NAB had filed an appeal against the former premier against his acquittal in the Flagship reference, and sought an extension in the punishment handed out to him in the Al Azizia reference.