Islamabad: Islamabad High Court on Tuesday acquitted former prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League (N) leader Mian Nawaz Sharif in Al-Azizia corruption reference observing prosecution failed to prove charges.
Nawaz Sharif was sentenced to 7 years in prison by the accountability court in 2018 with fine of 2.5 million pounds for not disclosing the source of the funds provided to set up Al-Azizia Steel Mills and Hill Metal Establishment (HME) in Saudi Arabia.
An IHC’s two-member bench comprising Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb heard the appeal of Nawaz Sharif against his conviction in the Al-Azizia reference and NAB’s plea seeking an extension of imprisonment.
Appellant counsel submitted that the trial court relied on the three miscellaneous applications along with Nawaz’s speech in the National Assembly and his son Hussain Nawaz’s TV interview. He contended that the evidence from one case cannot be used against the accused in another, especially when both cases vary in nature.
He submitted that prosecution was duty bound to assess the value of appellant’s income and assets and that the former prime minister was dependent on his sons besides it was to be proved by the prosecution that benami assets were established by the appellant.
The counsel argued that if the prosecution has not provided any evidence then the said case does not fall in the category of assets beyond means. He submitted that prosecution failed to prove charges against the appellant and requested the court to set aside the accountability court’s conviction.
NAB prosecutor submitted that the references were filed in the accountability court on the directions of the Supreme Court which also constituted a joint investigation team (JIT) to probe the references. He submitted that NAB investigated the issue of benami assets after the SC judgment in Panama case. He requested the court to remand back the case to accountability court for retrial as impugned judgment of accountability court was biased.
The court however turned down the request and reserved the judgment after hearing the arguments of the appellant and NAB counsel. The court, for reasons to be recorded later on, set aside the conviction of Nawaz Sharif in Al-Azizia steel mills reference and acquitted him of corruption charges.
