Former Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif's conviction in Al-Azizia case suspended; check details
Nawaz Sharif was convicted in the Al-Azizia case by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) court back in September 2017. The court had handed him a 7-year prison sentence and imposed a fine of 1.5 million pounds, while also ordering the seizure of Al-Azizia and Hill Metal properties.
In a significant development, the caretaker Punjab government in Pakistan has decided to suspend the sentence of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in the Al-Azizia Steel Mills graft case. This decision comes as a relief for Nawaz Sharif, who had been living in self-exile in London for the past four years.
Nawaz Sharif was convicted in the Al-Azizia case by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) court back in September 2017. The court had handed him a 7-year prison sentence and imposed a fine of 1.5 million pounds, while also ordering the seizure of Al-Azizia and Hill Metal properties.
It should be noted that Nawaz Sharif had faced legal challenges on multiple fronts. In 2018, he was ousted by the court and handed a 10-year prison term in the Avenfield properties corruption reference, which was related to possessing assets beyond his known income. He also received an additional one-year sentence for non-cooperation with the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), to be served concurrently.
His daughter, Maryam Nawaz, who serves as the Chief Organiser of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), had been sentenced to seven years in jail in the Al-Azizia case. However, she was acquitted in September 2022, along with her husband, retired Captain Safdar.
The Al-Azizia Steel Mills corruption reference has been a long-standing legal matter in which Nawaz Sharif had been sentenced to seven years in prison on December 24, 2018, and fined Rs 1.5 billion along with US$25 million. However, in 2019, the Lahore High Court suspended his sentence in the Al-Azizia reference on medical grounds, allowing him to seek medical treatment in London.
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Subsequently, Nawaz Sharif lived in self-imposed exile in London until his return to Pakistan, which was facilitated by his brother, Shehbaz Sharif. Nawaz Sharif's return was met with great anticipation and marked by a significant rally in Lahore, where he addressed his party's supporters.