Al-Azizia reference: IHC takes up Nawaz's appeal against conviction

PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif arrives to appear before the High Court in Islamabad on October 26, 2023. — AFP

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday took up Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif’s appeal challenging his conviction in Al-Azizia reference filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

A division bench, consisting of Chief Justice Aamir Farooq and Justice Mian Gul Hasan Aurangzeb, is conducting the hearing.

The PML-N supremo has appeared before the court.

On December 24, 2018, the accountability court sentenced Nawaz Sharif to seven years in jail and imposed a fine of 2.5 million pounds in the Al-Azizia Steel Mills reference.

Nawaz Sharif had submitted an appeal against the decision of the accountability court, requesting the court to annul the decision of imprisonment and fine.

The NAB has taken the stand in the appeal that the accountability court awarded a lesser sentence and it should be enhanced.

During the last hearing on November 29, the IHC accepted the appeal of the former prime minister and acquitted him in the Avenfield Apartments reference.

The NAB also withdrew its appeal from the high court against the acquittal of Nawaz in the Flagship reference.

On July 28, 2017, the Supreme Court disqualified former prime minister Nawaz Sharif for not declaring receivable salary and ordered NAB to file Avenfield, Al-Azizia Steel Mills and Flagship references.

While serving the sentence in the Al-Azizia case, Nawaz was diagnosed with an immune system disorder and subsequently allowed to travel abroad for treatment as per doctors' advice.

In December 2020, Nawaz was declared a “proclaimed offender” in both cases for “deliberately” not returning to the country.

After he failed to appear in the IHC during the appeals proceedings, the IHC bench headed by Justice Farooq dismissed his appeals against convictions on June 24, 2021.

In October this year, Nawaz returned to the country after obtaining protective bail in both graft cases and surrendered before the court, after which his appeals were restored.