Nawaz Sharif granted relief after NAB refused to arrest him: IHC

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) asserted that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif was granted relief after the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) refused to arrest the former premier, ARY News reported on Tuesday.

The IHC on October 26 restored Nawaz Sharif’s pleas against accountability courts’ conviction verdicts in the Avenfield and Al-Azizia references after approving two-day protective bail of the former prime minister.

Nawaz, who has been in self-imposed exile since 2019, left for London in the middle of his seven-year jail term on medical grounds. The elder Sharif returned to Pakistan on October 21.

In its detailed verdict issued today, the court highlighted that it restored the former premier’s pleas against conviction in the Avenfield and Al-Azizia cases “due to explicit and unambiguous stance” taken by the accountability bureau of not objecting to the petitioner’s plea.

Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, in the seven-page order, stated that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had clearly stated that it had no intention to arrest the former prime minister.

It further said that the petitioner was not arrested under the interim order of the court after he arrived Pakistan. The interim relief of not arresting Nawaz Sharif was extended for two days by the court.

Read More: IHC restores Nawaz Sharif’s pleas in Al-Azizia, Avenfield references

The verdict said that the court had served notices to respondents on October 24, on the petitions of Nawaz Sharif for restoration of his appeals and accepted the case for restoration of appeals on October 26.

It further said that in the Al-Azizia reference, the sentence of the petitioner had been suspended by the Punjab Government under section 401 (2) of the CRPC.

The decision said that NAB’s prosecutor general also did not oppose the restoration of the appeals, hence, the appeals were restored with all legal effects.

It further stated that Nawaz Sharif took a stand before the Punjab Government that he was 74 years old and unable to stay in jail due to his health issues. A government committee recommended to suspend Nawaz Sharif’s sentence in the Al-Azizia reference, which was approved by caretaker provincial cabinet on October 24.

Convictions

Nawaz Sharif was convicted by accountability courts in Avenfield and Al-Azizia references.

The accountability court had awarded 10 years jail term with eight million Pounds fine to Nawaz Sharif in Avenfield case and 07 years sentence in Al-Azizia reference.

The court had also disqualified Sharif for holding public office for 10 years.

However, in 2019, his sentence in Al-Azizia reference was suspended by the Lahore High Court (LHC) on medical grounds. He was then permitted to fly to London on medical grounds.