Nawaz's trial in Al-Azizia, Hill Metal cases to be held in jail

ISLAMABAD: An accountability court will conduct the trial of former premier Nawaz Sharif in Al-Azizia and Hill Metal Establishment corruption references inside Adiala jail.

Accountability Judge Muhammad Bashir will try the former premier in the two NAB cases in prison, according to a notification issued by the authorities concerned in this regard.

A National Accountability Bureau (NAB) team aided by Airport Security Force (ASF) officials arrested Sharif and his daughter upon their arrival at the Lahore airport and flown them to the Islamabad airport via a private plane before being shifted to Adiala jail in a convoy of security vehicles late Friday night.

Sharif and Maryam, who have been convicted in absentia by an accountability court in the Avenfield properties reference, returned home to face jail.

As the Avenfield case has been wrapped up, while two NAB cases, including Al-Azizia/Hill Metal Establishment, are pending. In the two remaining references Nawaz Sharif and his two sons have been named as accused.

On July 6, the PML-N supreme leader was awarded 10 years in prison, while his daughter Maryam and her spouse Capt. Safdar were handed seven years’ and one year’s prison term, respectively.

Judge Muhammad Bashir ordered forfeiture of their properties in the Avenfield Apartments and Park Lane of London. He imposed a fine of £8 million (approximately Rs1,292m) on the former premier and £2 million (approximately Rs323m) on his daughter.

Besides, three convicts were awarded an additional one-year imprisonment, which will run concurrently for not cooperating with the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).