ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court has scheduled a hearing for PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif’s appeals against the Avenfield and Al-Azizia references. This comes two weeks after the IHC reinstated his appeals regarding the 2018 convictions in both cases.
Set for November 21, the hearing will be conducted by a two-member bench headed by IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb.
In a surprising move, the interim Punjab government suspended Nawaz’s sentence in the Al-Azizia reference on October 24, three days after his return home.
This decision was made utilizing the caretaker government’s constitutional powers outlined in Section 401 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which covers the suspension, remission, and commutation of sentences.
Nawaz Sharif received a 10-year jail term in July 2018 in the Avenfield properties corruption reference for possessing assets beyond his known income and an additional one-year term for non-cooperation with the NAB, to be served concurrently.
Regarding the Al-Azizia Steel Mills corruption reference, he was sentenced to seven years in jail on December 24, 2018, along with fines totaling Rs1.5 billion and $25 million.
Earlier, an Accountability Court in Islamabad has nullified the confiscation order related to the property of ex-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in the Toshakhana reference case. The court directed the return of assets, including over 1650 kanals of agricultural land, Mercedes, and Land Cruiser vehicles, situated in Lahore.
Additionally, an order has been issued to unfreeze Nawaz Sharif’s bank accounts. In 2020, Judge Muhammad Basheer of the Islamabad Accountability Court declared Nawaz Sharif a proclaimed offender in the Toshakhana reference, along with orders to seize the former Prime Minister’s assets.
However, in November of this year, Nawaz Sharif returned home, surrendered to the court, and was subsequently granted bail.
