The Islamabad High Court (IHC) reinstated the appeals of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) leader, Muhammad Nawaz Sharif against his convictions in the Al-Azizia Steel Mills and Avenfield property cases.
The appeals were heard by a two-judge bench presided over by Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb.
Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, accompanied by his daughter Maryam Nawaz and legal team, appeared before the bench, seeking restoration of his appeals.
During the proceedings, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Prosecutor General informed the court that Sharif had voluntarily surrendered himself to the court’s jurisdiction.
Chief Justice Farooq inquired if NAB intended to arrest Sharif, to which the prosecutor confirmed they did not require his custody.
The court then questioned the status of Sharif’s bails if his appeals were restored. The NAB prosecutor suggested that the court could demand surety bonds from Sharif once again.
Sharif’s lawyer, Azam Nazir Tarar, raised concerns that the protective bail petition would lose its effectiveness if the appeals were reinstated.
The prosecutor general clarified that references could only be withdrawn during the trial stage and not when an appeal against the decision was pending.
Justice Miangul Hassan inquired if NAB would present arguments supporting the judgments in the references. The NAB prosecutor responded that their stance would be determined after a thorough review of the evidence.
Amjad Pervaiz Advocate referred to a previous case involving Maryam Nawaz, highlighting the court’s criticism of NAB’s failure to prove Nawaz Sharif’s involvement in the graft case. After a comprehensive discussion, the court reserved its verdict.
Later, Chief Justice Aamer Farooq announced the verdict, confirming the restoration of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s appeals in the Al-Azizia Steel Mills and Avenfield property references.
