Al-Azizia reference: Nawaz Sharif sentenced to seven years in prison
The accountability court has announced verdict in Al-Azizia and Flagship references on Monday.
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif has been sentenced to seven years in prison in Al-Azizia Steel Mills reference, whereas, he has been acquitted in Flagshipship reference filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
While reading out the short order, Accountability Judge Arshad Malik said that there was no case against Nawaz in the Flagship reference. He was indicted under Section 9(a)(v) and Section 10 of the National Accountability Ordinance in the Al-Azizia reference.
Section 9(a)(v) says: "A holder of a public office, or any other person, is said to commit or to have committed the offence of corruption and corrupt practices if he or any of his dependents or benamidar owns, possesses, or has acquired right or title in any assets or holds irrevocable power of attorney in respect of any assets or pecuniary resources disproportionate to his known sources of income, which he cannot reasonably account for, or maintains a standard of living beyond that which is commensurate with his sources of income."
In the verdict, the court has imposed Rs3.47 billion (USD 25 million) fine on the former prime minister for failing to provide money trail. The court also ordered to seize Al-Azizia and Hill Metal peroperty.
On the other hand, Sharif’s sons Hassan and Hussain have been declared absconders and permanent arrest warrants have been issued against them.
NAWAZ TO BE MOVED TO KOT LAKHPAT JAIL
On the directives of the court, Nawaz Sharif was arrested by the anti-corruption watchdog from the courtroom while the security was tightened at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi.
Nawaz’s lawyer Khawaja Haris requested that his client be shifted to Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat Jail instead of Adiala Jail. After few minutes, the court granted permission to move Sharif to Lahore central prison.
He will stay at Adiyala Jail tonight and later moved to Lahore on Tuesday morning.
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Nawaz Sharif also has the option to challenge the verdict against him. The verdict will be challenged in the Islamabad High Court, according to initial details.
The country’s anti-corruption body NAB had filed three cases -- Avenfield, Al-Azizia Steel Mills and Hill Metal Establishment, and offshore companies, including Flagship Investment Limited -- against the Sharifs on the Supreme Court’s directives in the July 2017 Panamagate verdict.The trial commenced in September that year.
The three-time Premier and his sons Hasan and Hussain were accused in all the three graft references whereas his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law Muhammad Safdar were accused in the Avenfield reference only.
Sharif was ousted and disqualified from holding office by the Supreme Court in July 2017 and jailed earlier this year in absentia. He was arrested on July 13 upon returning from London.
On September 19, Nawaz Sharif, his daughter and son-in-law Capt (r) Safdar were released from jail after the Islamabad High Court suspended prison sentences they got in the Avennfield reference over the purchase of upscale apartments in London.
The Islamabad High Court suspended the 10-year jail term of the three-time premier. The court had also freed Sharif’s daughter and political heir Maryam, who was jailed for seven years on corruption charges relating to the family’s acquisition of the London flats.
Read More: Al-Azizia and Flagship references: Read accountability court s verdict
The case against Sharif stemmed from 2016 Panama Papers revelations that showed his family owned the London apartments through offshore companies. Maryam was convicted for concealing ownership of the properties. They both denied wrongdoing.
Read the text of detailed verdict here:
With inputs from Reuters
