21/11/2023
ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court is set to hear appeals by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Nawaz Sharif against his Avenfield and Al-Azizia Steel Mills corruption convictions today. The two-member division bench, led by IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, will oversee the proceedings. Security arrangements have been outlined in a circular issued by the court's registrar office.
The circular instructs Inspector General of Police Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Dr Akbar Nasir Khan, the chief commissioner, and deputy commissioner to ensure security measures. Entry into the court is restricted to pass holders, with a list submission requirement for lawyers and officials. Only 30 journalists will be allowed to attend the proceedings.
Sharif's appeals were reinstated after his return to Pakistan and surrendering before the court, following his overseas medical treatment. The National Accountability Bureau did not object to granting bail to Sharif. He had been sentenced to seven and 10 years in prison in the Al-Azizia and Avenfield references in 2018. Sharif's daughter Maryam Nawaz and her husband Captain (retd) Safdar, convicted as co-accused, were earlier acquitted by the appellate court.