ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday acquitted the former Prime Minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Nawaz Sharif in the Avenfield Reference.
A two-member bench of the IHC comprising the Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb announced the verdict on Nawaz Nawaz’s appeal against his conviction in the case, Dawn News reported.
In July 2018, an Accountability Court had handed the PML-N leader 10 years in jail in the Avenfield properties corruption reference for owning assets beyond known income and one year for not cooperating with the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), both of which were to be served concurrently.
The IHC had declared Nawaz Sharif a proclaimed offender in the case in December 2020. After leaving for London on medical grounds, the PML-N leader remained there for nearly four years and only returned to the Country last month.
Following his return from the UK, the PML-N leader had filed an application seeking the restoration of his appeal against his conviction.
The PML-N leader had contended that while he was abroad for medical treatment, the pending appeals were dismissed for non-prosecution. The plea requested the Court to revive the pending appeal for a decision on them on merit. Last month, the IHC had restored the appeal in question.
Today, the Court set aside the Accountability Court’s verdict and accepted Nawaz’s appeal.
