AL-AZIZIA CASE VERDICT
ISLAMABAD - The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Thursday decided to hear Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) Quaid Nawaz Sharif’s appeal against his conviction in the Al-Azizia reference, on merit.
A division bench of IHC comprising Chief Justice of IHC Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb conducted hearing of Sharif’s appeal. The Accountability Court (AC) Islamabad convicted the former prime minister in the Al-Azizia/Hill Metals Establishment corruption references filed by National Accountability Bureau and awarded him rigorous imprisonment for a term of seven years on December 24, 2018 in the said reference. Sharif had moved the appeal through his counsel Khawaja Haris Ahmad and cited the State through chairman NAB, NAB through its chairman, judge accountability court–II Islamabad and superintendent central jail Kot Lakhpat Lahore as respondents. During the hearing, the NAB prosecuted requested the bench to remand back the appeal to the accountability court. However, the bench rejected the NAB’s appeal and decided to hear the matter on merit.
Sharif’s lawyer Amjad Pervez informed the court that there are 22 witnesses in this case and most of them are linked to the bank records.
Justice Aamer asked if the case was linked to the Panama Papers. At this, Pervez replied in the affirmative. The lawyer said that three references were filed in the Panama cases: Al-Azizia, Avenfield and Flagship Investment references.
He mentioned that an accountability court had acquitted Sharif in the Flagship reference. He added that the aforementioned three references were the outcome of one Supreme Court judgment. He contended that a single reference should have been filed against the PML-N leader as all the three references mentioned accusations of holding assets beyond means.
Sharif’s counsel adopted the stance that it had been established in the last seven years that Nawaz’s father had established Al-Azizia mills. He also said that Nawaz Sharif was not linked to it in any way ever.