An Islamabad accountability court has acquitted former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s sons, Hussain Nawaz and Hassan Nawaz, in three corruption references linked to the Panama Papers scandal.
The sons of Nawaz Sharif were declared fugitives in 2018 when they failed to participate in the investigation regarding Avenfield Apartment, Al-Azizia, and Flagship Investment references brought by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
Earlier this month, Hussain and Hassan, represented by their counsel Qazi Misbahul Hassan, decided to surrender before the court to face trial proceedings and requested the suspension of the warrants issued against them.
After an accountability court suspended their warrants until March 14, both returned to Pakistan on March 12, ending their six-year self-imposed exile in London.
Last week, the court reopened the references against Hussain and Hassan after suspending their perpetual arrest warrants and granting them bail against surety bonds of Rs50,000 each.
The accountability judge, Nasir Javed Rana, announced the verdict today, accepting the pleas for acquittal.
Qazi Misbah represented Hussain and Hassan, with their pleader Rana Mohammad Irfan also present. NAB, represented by prosecutor Azhar Maqbool, did not oppose the acquittal pleas.
Hussain and Hassan Nawaz left the country in 2018 after being implicated in corruption cases. They were declared fugitives for evading investigation and court proceedings, leading to the issuance of their arrest warrants.
Their return to Pakistan was kept low-key by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), with both landing at Lahore airport from London and being escorted to their Jati Umra residence under tight security provided by the Punjab police.
During the hearing, the court requested NAB’s report on the pleas, to which the prosecutor stated that a previous Supreme Court verdict did not hinder the acquittals.
Judge Rana asked Maqbool to provide his statement. The prosecutor informed the court that the cases did not fall under the amendments to the NAB laws. He argued that since Nawaz Sharif, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, and her husband Captain (rtd) Safdar had already been acquitted, Hussain and Hassan were accused of conspiracy and abetment.
Misbah highlighted that NAB had not presented further evidence against Hassan and Hussain Nawaz, despite their father’s acquittal in December 2023.
After hearing both sides, the court reserved its verdict on Hassan and Hussain’s pleas seeking acquittal in the three references.
