LAHORE: Caretaker Punjab government on Tuesday ‘suspended’ sentence awarded to former prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif in Al-Azizia reference, local media reported citing sources.
Nawaz Sharif was convicted by the accountability courts in Avenfield and Al-Azizia cases. The accountability court had awarded 10-year jail term with 8m 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.
Local media quoted the sources privy to the development to say that the caretaker Punjab cabinet suspended the sentence of Nawaz Sharif under Section 401 of the Criminal Procedural Code.
According to Section 401 of 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.
