IHC to hear Nawaz's plea against Al-Azizia verdict on Sept 18

By
Web Desk
Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif. Photo: File

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Saturday fixed September 18 as the date for the hearing of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif's plea for the suspension of his sentence in the Al-Azizia Steel Mills reference.

A two-judge bench comprising Justice Amir Farooq and Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kiyani will hear the former premier's plea.

The same day, the court will also hear the National Accountability Bureau’s appeal against Nawaz’s acquittal in the Flagship Investment reference.

Due to summer vacations, the hearings have been set for the month of September.

On December 24, 2018, an accountability court had sentenced Nawaz to seven years in prison in the Al-Azizia Steel Mills corruption reference and acquitted him in the Flagship reference.

In a short verdict announced, the court said there was concrete evidence against the former premier in the Al-Azizia reference and that he was unable to provide a money trail in the case.

The court ordered that Nawaz be "sentenced to rigorous imprisonment for a term of seven years along with a fine of Rs1.5 billion and US$25 million".