Nawaz issued notice in Al Azizia reference on NAB's appeal

ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif has been issued a notice in Al Azizia reference on the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) appeal.

Justice Amir Farooq and Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kiani conducted the hearing on Nawaz's appeal, a petition seeking suspension of Nawaz's punishment and NAB’s appeal against the Al Azizia and Flagship reference at the Islamabad High Court.

Nawaz has not been issued any notice in the Flagship reference, instead, the anti-graft watchdog was instructed to submit records of the case to the court.

In response to Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kiani question since when Nawaz was a public officer, the NAB prosecutor said that the former premier was an office holder from 1999-2003.

The Flagship company was formed in 2001, the NAB prosecutor informed the court, to which Justice Kiani inquired that, "the company was formed in the UK however all its profits were sent here."

Nawaz's counsel Khwaja Haris maintained that the former premier was not the real owner of the assets, yet he was punished by the accountability court.

Haris also urged the court to hear the petition seeking suspension in Nawaz's sentence first, saying the hearing on the appeal is scheduled later on

However, Justice Amir Farooq stated that "for now the appeal and the petition seeking suspension of the sentence are not being separated."

Haris maintained that the accountability court announced its decision on the basis of the Joint Investigation Team (JIT)’s report.



Earlier, the court accepted a separate petition by Nawaz's counsel to submit additional documents in the petition seeking suspension of punishment in the Al Azizia reference.

The petition stated that witness testimonies and NAB documents submitted in the trial court should also be made part of the record of the case.

Hearing of the case has been adjourned indefinitely, the court has instructed to schedule a hearing within the next three weeks.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders Khawaja Asif, Raja Zafarul Haq and Maryam Aurangzaib also attended the hearing.

Earlier, the high court 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.

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.

The high court had also scheduled the hearing of NAB appeals against Nawaz Sharif in Al-Azizia and Flagship Investment references for today.

In its appeal against Nawaz’s acquittal in the Flagship reference, NAB had contended that the court’s verdict was against the law and the verdict should have been announced in light of the evidence present.

In another appeal, the anti-graft watchdog has said that Nawaz was found guilty with all charges against him proven, and the seven-year jail term awarded in the Al Azizia reference was not enough and should be increased.

The NAB’s appeals were scheduled to be heard along with the appeal filed by the former premier against his jail term in the Al Azizia Steel Mills reference on the same date.