ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court presided over by a two-member bench consisting of Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Gul Hassan Aurangzeb, adjourned Nawaz Sharif’s appeal in the Al-Azizia case.
The court decided that the case would be heard on its merits rather than focusing on procedural or technical matters. Lawyers Amjad Pervaiz and Azam Nazeer Tarar, representing Nawaz, argued for a merit-based hearing, which was granted.
During the proceedings, Nawaz’s legal team informed the court that they no longer wished to pursue the case related to the Judge Arshad Malik video scandal. In 2018, Nawaz received a seven-year jail sentence and a Rs1.5 billion fine in the Al-Azizia reference.
Nawaz had filed petitions to reinstate his appeals against convictions in the Al-Azizia and Avenfield cases upon his return to the country after four years of exile. The appeals were reinstated on October 24. The same IHC bench previously acquitted Nawaz in the Avenfield reference.
The court questioned Nawaz’s lawyers about the link between the reference and the Panama Papers, to which Pervaiz confirmed that three references, including the Al-Azizia case, had been filed on the Supreme Court’s instructions.
Nawaz’s lawyer argued that the steel mill in question was established in 2001 when Nawaz was not a public office holder and had no connection with the companies involved. The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) prosecutor interrupted, stating that Nawaz’s lawyers were discussing the case’s merits despite filing a petition in the Judge Arshad Malik video scandal.
Pervaiz clarified that they no longer wished to pursue the judge video case, as Arshad Malik had passed away. Justice Aurangzeb expressed concern about the judge’s conduct and questioned why he was dismissed.
The court offered two options: hearing the case on merit or sending it back to the trial court, treating Nawaz as an accused instead of a convict. Nawaz’s lawyers chose the former, while NAB argued for the latter. The bench ruled in favor of Nawaz, and the hearing on merit was scheduled to resume on December 12, with the case being adjourned.
