The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has acquitted former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in the Avenfield Apartments reference case, providing significant relief to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo.
The decision was announced by an IHC division bench comprising Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, overturning Nawaz’s previous conviction in the graft case. The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) also withdrew Nawaz’s acquittal in the Flagship reference.
Nawaz Sharif was sentenced to imprisonment in July 2018 by a trial court in the Avenfield corruption reference, along with hefty fines. The case pertained to owning assets beyond known sources of income. His daughter, Maryam Nawaz and her husband, Muhammad Safdar, were also convicted but later acquitted in the Avenfield reference by the high court. Nawaz and Maryam were arrested in 2018 upon their return from London. Additionally, Nawaz faced a seven-year jail term in the Al-Azizia reference.
Legal Proceedings and Arguments
Nawaz’s lawyer, Amjad Pervez, highlighted that the co-accused Maryam and Captain Safdar had been acquitted earlier, arguing the insufficiency of evidence against Nawaz. He pointed out the prosecution’s failure to establish a link between Nawaz and the properties in question or prove that Nawaz’s assets exceeded his income. The lawyer emphasized that the prosecution’s responsibility was to prove Nawaz’s ownership or connection to the property.
Justice Aurangzeb inquired about the prosecution’s initial responsibilities in making their case. Pervez responded by outlining the steps the prosecution should have taken, which they failed to do. After hearing the arguments, the IHC concluded that there was insufficient evidence to link Nawaz Sharif to the properties in question, leading to his acquittal.
