The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has decided to proceed with hearing the appeal of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Nawaz Sharif against his conviction in the Al-Azizia reference.
The appeal was heard by an IHC division bench comprising Chief Justice Aamir Farooq and Justice Mian Gul Hasan Aurangzeb. The same bench recently acquitted Nawaz Sharif in the Avenfield reference case on November 29.
During today’s hearing, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) requested the appeal be remanded back to the accountability court, a motion which the IHC rejected, choosing instead to address the appeal on its merits.
Nawaz Sharif, his legal team, and PML-N senior leaders were in court for the hearing. Previously convicted in the Avenfield and Al-Azizia references, Sharif saw a turn in his fortunes with his recent acquittal in the Avenfield case. In these cases, he faced substantial prison sentences, heavy fines, and disqualification from holding public office.
However, in 2019, the Lahore High Court suspended his sentence in the Al-Azizia reference on medical grounds, allowing him to travel to London. Declared a proclaimed offender in December 2020, Sharif recently returned from exile in the UK and filed applications to restore his appeals against the convictions in both cases.
