ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday restored pleas of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif seeking restoration of appeals against his sentence in the Avenfield and Al-Azizia references.
The IHC bench comprising of Chief Justice Aamir Farooq and Justice Miangul Hasan Aurangzeb heard the plea.
The National Accountability Court (NAB) told the bench that it has no objections on the revival of Nawaz Sharif’s pleas.
Nawaz Sharif in today’s hearing appeared before the court with his brother Shehbaz Sharif and other party leaders.
At the start of the proceedings, NAB Prosecutor General Ehtesham Qadir Shah said that the court had directed the bureau’s chairman to give an opinion on the bail pleas. He told the court they had an extensive discussion regarding the petitions.
Shah said that the Avenfield reference could potentially be withdrawn if the verdict had not been announced.
He said as per Pakistani laws, if an appeal is accepted against a decision, the reference cannot be withdrawn.
Shah further said that the reference had been filed in accordance with the Supreme Court’s directives and had received approval from the NAB chairman.
“If a proclaimed offender surrenders, they should be granted all legal remedies,” the prosecutor said.
He further added that NAB had no objections to restoring appeals against Nawaz’s conviction.
Nawaz Sharif’s lawyer, Azam Nazir Tarar while presenting his arguments said that in his 30-year career, he had never witnessed a case where a proclaimed offender appeared before the court, while his right to appeal was not restored.
Justice Farooq then asked NAB prosecutor general whether he sought a verdict on Nawaz’s appeals based on merit. To this, he replied in affirmative. He said Nawaz Sharif has already surrendered and is at the disposal of the court.
After the arguments, the court reserved the verdict on the petitions.
Nawaz Sharif was convicted by the accountability courts in Avenfield and Al-Azizia cases. The accountability court had awarded 10-year jail term with 8 million Pounds fine to Nawaz Sharif in the Avenfield case and a seven-year sentence in Al-Azizia reference.
The court had also disqualified Sharif from holding public office for 10 years. However, in 2019, his sentence in the Al-Azizia reference was suspended by the Lahore High Court on medical grounds and subsequently he was permitted to fly to London for medical treatment.
Earlier local media reported that the caretaker Punjab cabinet under Section 401 of the Criminal Procedural Code suspended the sentence of Nawaz Sharif.
As per the Criminal Procedural Code, the government reserves the right to suspend the sentence of the convict.
Nawaz Sharif landed in Pakistan on October 21 after ending his self-exile of four years. He was accorded a warm welcome by the PML-N and he addressed a public gathering at Minar-e-Pakistan Lahore.
