IHC acquits Former PM Nawaz Sharif in Avenfield reference
In a major relief for the former prime minister, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) Wednesday acquitted Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif in the Avenfield Apartments reference case.
The court also dismissed the plea filed by the National Accountability Bureau in the Flagship reference against the PML-N supremo after the accountability watchdog withdrew it.
An IHC division bench comprising Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb announced the verdict on Nawaz’s plea to overturn his conviction in the graft case.
Talking to journalists outside the court after his major legal victory, Nawaz — a three-time prime minister eyeing his fourth term in next year’s general elections — said: “I had left it up to Allah. In Al-Azizia [Steel Mills corruption reference] also, I’ve also left my matters up to Allah.”
جب انسان ظلم سہنے کے باوجود اپنے معملات اللّہ تعالیٰ کے سپرد کر دیتا ہے تو وہ پوری دنیا کے سامنے انسان کو کس طرح سُرخرو کرتا ہے، یہ اس کی ایک مثال ہے ! شکر الحمدُللّہ ! pic.twitter.com/O6tjw9iIJv
— Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) November 29, 2023
The IHC had declared him a proclaimed offender in the case in December 2020. After leaving for London on medical grounds, Nawaz 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.
He 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.