IHC to hear both Nawaz, NAB’s appeals today

Court decides to hear pleas from two sides on same day

ISLAMABAD:

The Islamabad High Court has scheduled PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif’s appeal against his conviction in the Avenfield Apartments and Al-Azizia Steel Mills corruption cases as well as those filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for hearing on Wednesday (today).

An IHC division bench comprising Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb will hear them.

In July 2018, an accountability court sentenced the PML-N supremo to rigorous imprisonment for a term of 10 years with a fine of £8 million (Rs1.92 billion) in the Avenfield Apartments corruption reference for owning assets beyond known sources of income and an additional year for not cooperating with NAB, both of them to be served concurrently.

Later in Dec 2018, Nawaz was sentenced to seven-year rigorous imprisonment along with a fine of Rs1.2 billion and $25 million after an accountability court found him guilty in the Al-Azizia reference.
He subsequently filed appeals against his convictions in the IHC.

While the court was still in the process of hearing the appeals, the PML-N leader flew to London in Nov 2019 after receiving a rare permission for medical treatment abroad.

As a result, an IHC bench led by Justice Farooq dismissed the appeals on June 24, 2021 because of the PML-N supremo’s failure to appear in court for hearings.

Last month, the IHC restored the PML-N supremo’s appeals against his conviction in the Avenfield Apartments and Al-Azizia references after he filed separate applications in the court for their revival following his return from the UK.

Earlier this month, the IHC dismissed a long-standing contempt of court petition against the PML-N supremo related to his anti-judiciary speeches in 2018.

The hearing was presided over by the IHC CJ and the plea was dismissed on grounds of no representation on behalf of the petitioner during court proceedings.

A citizen, Adnan Iqbal, had filed a contempt of court petition against Nawaz, seeking legal action for his statements made in 2018.

The IHC will also hear NAB’s appeals seeking to set aside the acquittal of Nawaz in the Flagship reference and increase his sentence in the Al-Azizia case.

In its appeal against Nawaz's acquittal in the Flagship reference, NAB contended that the accountability court's verdict was against the law and it should have been announced in light of the evidence present.
In the other appeal, the anti-graft watchdog argued that the former premier was found guilty in the Al-Azizia reference with all charges against him proven and the seven-year jail term awarded to him in the case was not enough, adding that it should be increased.