ISLAMABAD – The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Friday admitted the appeal of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) against the verdicts of accountability court in Al-Azizia Steel Mills and Flagship Investment references against former prime minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif.
The NAB filed the appeal second time as it were earlier returned by the IHC registrar office after raising objections.
The accountability court, on December 24, had sentenced Nawaz Sharif to seven years rigorous imprisonment along with fine of Rs1.5 billion and US$ 25 million in the Al-Azizia Steel Mills corruption reference, and acquitted him in the Flagship Investment reference.
NAB, in its appeal, pleaded that concrete evidences were provided in the Flagship Investment reference and requested the IHC to set aside the decision of the accountability court, which had acquitted the accused by giving him the benefit of doubt. It also pleaded the court to give a sentence to the accused on the basis of evidences.
NAB, in its second appeal, said the seven-year jail term given to Nawaz Sharif in the Al-Azizia Steel Mills corruption reference was not enough and should be increased as per Section 9 (a)(v) of the NAB Ordinance, according to which the punishment for such offense was 14 years imprisonment.
