Bench refers Nawaz's Al Azizia petition to IHC chief justice

Next hearing scheduled after courts resume in January

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday referred Nawaz Sharif’s review plea against the accountability court verdict in the Al Azizia Steel Mills to IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Amer Farooq and Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani recommended a division bench to hear Nawaz’s request to submit new evidence.

The formal premier filed the appeal following the video scandal pertaining to accountability court judge Arshad Malik.

The next hearing will be after courts resume in January.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo is currently in London receiving medical treatment for various ailments. He flew to the British capital after the Lahore High Court (LHC) directed the federal government to remove his name from the Exit Control List (ECL) for four weeks.

Prior to that, Nawaz was granted eight-week bail on medical grounds by the Islamabad High Court on October 27.

Accountability court verdict

Nawaz was sentenced seven-year imprisonment and fined Rs1.5billion and $25 million by accountability judge Arshad Malik in the Al Azizia reference. He was also disqualified from holding public office for 10 years. He was, however, acquitted in the Flagship reference.



Videogate controversy

In a press conference in July, Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) leader Maryam Nawaz had shared a video containing an alleged confession by the judge that he was ‘pressurised’ and ‘blackmailed’ to give a decision against the former premier.

Following the revelation, several petitions were filed in the top court requesting the court to form a probe committee or a judicial commission to investigate the matter.

It is pertinent to note that Malik denied the allegations in a letter to the chief justice of the IHC.

The judge had on Dec 24 last year convicted Nawaz in the Al-Azizia reference but acquitted him in the Flagship Investment reference.

Nawaz's health

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo is currently in London receiving medical treatment for various ailments. He flew to the British capital after the Lahore High Court directed the federal government to remove his name from the Exit Control List (ECL) for four weeks. Prior to that, Nawaz was granted eight-week bail on medical grounds by the Islamabad High Court on October 27.