Nawaz Sharif's trial: What we know so far
Accountability court announced verdicts in Flagship and Al-Azizia references on Monday
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - The accountability court s Judge Arshad Malik on Monday handed former three-time prime minister Nawaz Sharif seven years in prison and a fine of $25 million in Al-Azizia corruption reference and acquitted him in the Flagship corruption reference filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) against him.
After spending a night at the Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, he has been shifted to the Kot Lakhpat Jail in Lahore amid tight security.
What we know so far
April 20, 2017: The Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) ordered formation of a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to inquire into allegations of money laundering, corruption and contradictory statements by Sharif and his relations in a 3-2 split decision.
July 10, 2017: The JIT submited a final report to the SCP.
July 28, 2017: A five-judge panel unanimously disqualified Sharif from holding any public office finding that he had been dishonest in not disclosing his employment in the Dubai-based Capital FZE Company in his nomination papers.
August 15, 2017: Sharif filed three separate appeals in the Supreme Court to review its verdict in the Panama Papers case that resulted in his disqualification.
September 15, 2017: The Supreme Court dismisses the review petitions filed by Sharif, his children and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, challenging his disqualification in the Panama Papers scandal.
September 22, 2017: Sharif and his family’s accounts and properties seized.
October 20, 2017: the accountability court had declared Hussain and Hassan absconders over their perpetual absence from proceedings in the offshore assets case.
February 21, 2018: The SCP disqualified Sharif as the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) chief.
July 6, 2018: The court sentenced Sharif to 10 years rigorous imprisonment in the Avenfield properties case. The sentence extended to his daughter Maryam Nawaz, and son-in-law (Rtd) captain Safdar, sentencing them to 7 years and 1 year imprisonment, respectively.
July 13, 2018: Sharif and his daughter Maryam were arrested on their arrival from London to Lahore, and subsequently were taken to the Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi.
September 11, 2018: Sharif s wife Kulsoom Nawaz died in London.
September 19, 2018: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) suspended the jail sentences of Sharif, his daughter and son-in-law, and ordered their release with an immediate effect. Later, the NAB challenged the IHC’s ruling in the SCP.
In total, 183 court hearings were made in the Flagship and Al-Azizia references against him while the NAB produced 16 and 22 witnesses in the references, respectively.
The former premier has been produced before the court 15 times from the Adiala Jail.
Initially, Judge Muhammad Bashir heard 103 proceedings in both references followed by Judge Arshad Malik, who conducted the inquisitorial proceedings 80 times.
Importantly, the SCP had ordered the NAB to file three references including Avenfield Properties, Al-Azizia and Flagship Investment against the Sharif family.
