The Islamabad High Court has scheduled the hearing for the appeal in the Al-Azizia and Avenfield references against former Prime Minister and leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Nawaz Sharif, on December 7. Chief Justice Islamabad High Court Aamer Farooq, along with Justice Gul Hassan Aurangzeb, will preside over the proceedings.
The appeal pertains to the increase in Nawaz Sharif’s sentence in the Al-Azizia reference, and the hearing is set to take place in the Islamabad High Court on the same day as the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) Al-Azizia reference.
On July 6, 2018, the Accountability Court in Islamabad sentenced Nawaz Sharif to 11 years in prison in the Avenfield reference. Furthermore, on December 24, 2018, the same court awarded him a seven-year imprisonment term and imposed fines in the Al-Azizia Steel Mills reference.
It is noteworthy that on October 26, 2021, the Islamabad High Court reinstated Nawaz Sharif’s appeals against the sentences in the Avenfield and Al-Azizia references. The court had previously heard and accepted appeals challenging the convictions and sentences against the former prime minister.
In recent days, the Islamabad High Court overturned the sentences in the Avenfield reference, declaring Nawaz Sharif not guilty. The court upheld the appeal, stating that there was no challenge from Maryam Nawaz and Captain (Retd.) Safdar against their acquittal.
The latest developments highlight the ongoing legal challenges faced by Nawaz Sharif, a prominent political figure in Pakistan, as the appeals process continues in high-profile corruption cases. The upcoming hearing on December 7 is expected to draw significant attention and further shape the legal trajectory of the former prime minister.
