–Accountability watchdog says 7-year imprisonment handed to Nawaz Sharif is not enough and should be extended to 14 years
–IHC returns Nawaz’s plea against Al-Azizia conviction for being ‘incomplete’
ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Wednesday approached the Islamabad High Court (IHC), seeking review of the accountability’s court’s verdict in the Al-Azizia and Flagship references, while the court’s office has returned former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s plea against the Al-Azizia verdict for being “incomplete”.
Accountability Court Judge Arshad Malik on Dec 24 handed Nawaz Sharif seven years in jail and a fine of Rs1.5 billion and US $25 million in the Al-Azizia reference, and acquitted him in the Flagship reference. The two references concern the setting up of the Al-Azizia and Hill Metal Establishment in Saudi Arabia, and Flagship Investments in the United Kingdom.
In addition to challenging Nawaz’s acquittal in Flagship reference, NAB has also sought an extension in the seven-year imprisonment handed over to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo in the Al-Azizia reference, arguing that it was too little and should be increased.
NAB, in its plea, requested the court to declare Flagship verdict ‘null and void’, saying it “provided concrete evidence against Nawaz Sharif”.
It is illegal to acquit former PM on the mere basis of the benefit of the doubt, argued the NAB counsel, while requesting the high court to sentence Nawaz on the basis of available evidence.
Furthermore, NAB argued that the seven-year jail time handed to the PML-N supremo in Al-Azizia reference is not enough and should be extended as “under Section 9 (a)(v) of the NAO 1999 the maximum prison time is 14 years”.
The PML-N leader was made party to both appeals.
On Dec 24, 2018, the Accountability Court 2 of Islamabad had handed seven-year rigorous imprisonment to Nawaz along with a fine of Rs1.5 billion and $25 million in the Al-Azizia Steel Mills/Hill Metal Establishment reference. It had, however, acquitted him in the Flagship Investments reference due to “insufficient evidence”.
The accountability court, as part of the Al-Azizia Steel Mills judgement, had also barred the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo from holding public office for 10 years after completing his sentence. It had also ordered confiscation of the Hill Metal Establishment and issued perpetual warrants of arrest for his sons, Hussain and Hassan, who were declared proclaimed offenders.
IHC RETURNS NAWAZ’S PLEA:
Meanwhile, a day after Nawaz’s counsel Khawaja Haris challenged the accountability court’s verdict that sentenced him to seven years in jail along with a hefty fine, the IHC registrar returned the appeal, declaring it incomplete. The registrar directed the ex-PM to file the plea again after addressing the objections.
Nawaz’s 61-page appeal against the verdict claimed that the accountability court’s decision was based on misunderstanding and misinterpretation of the law.
The available evidence, according to the three-time former prime minister, were not read correctly and that the judgement was made without considering the objections raised by the defence counsel, it added.
The judge “betrayed his predisposition and exceeded his position as a trial judge” during the hearing of the case, the appeal argued.
