Islamabad: The two sons of ex-prime minister Nawaz Sharif have petitioned the accountability court to suspend their arrest warrants in connection to three corruption cases stemming from the Panama Papers scandal. This would allow them to voluntarily present themselves before the court on March 12th.
Hussain Nawaz and Hassan Nawaz, represented by their lawyer Qazi Misbahul Hassan, submitted an application to the Islamabad accountability court. In this application, they requested the suspension of their ongoing arrest warrants, which were issued in relation to the Avenfield Apartments, Al-Azizia, and Flagship Investment cases.
Judge Nasir Javed Rana addressed the cases of Mr. Hussain and Mr. Hassan Nawaz, both residing in Saudi Arabia and the UK. They are named as accused alongside Mr. Sharif, Maryam Nawaz, and retired Captain Safdar in these references. The counsel, Advocate Qazi Misbah, informed the court that the trial began when neither of them was in Pakistan. He added that they were uninformed about the formal legal process, and the state failed to follow the proper legal course, which involved issuing notices, arrest warrants, and proclamations.
Furthermore, it was mentioned that Mr. Hussain and Mr. Hassan, sons of the former prime minister, have chosen to surrender before the court to participate in the trial proceedings. They plan to arrive in Islamabad on March 12th and have requested the court to temporarily suspend their arrest warrants, allowing them to present themselves before the court.
It should be noted that Mr. Sharif and Ms. Nawaz were both found guilty in the Avenfield case prior to the previous general election. Additionally, Mr. Sharif faced conviction in the Al-Azizia reference in December 2018 but was acquitted in the Flagship Investment reference.
Mr. Sharif, Ms. Nawaz, and her husband, retired Captain Safdar, contested their convictions in the Avenfield and Al-Azizia references at the Islamabad High Court (IHC). During this time, Mr. Sharif traveled abroad and was declared a proclaimed offender by the IHC.
Meanwhile, Ms. Nawaz and retired Captain Safdar continued their legal battle in the UK. Eventually, the IHC overturned their convictions. Upon Mr. Sharif’s return to Pakistan in October of the previous year, his appeals were reactivated, leading to the IHC also setting aside his convictions in both cases.
