Al-Azizia verdict: Nawaz’s appeal to be heard on December 18

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Saturday has announced to hear ailing Nawaz Sharif’s appeal against his sentence in Al-Azizia reference on December 18.

The IHC registrar office issued a cause list and the court has fixed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) petition in the same case to extend former Prime Minister’s sentence for hearing on the same day.

The former premier through his appeal has challenged the seven-year jail term awarded to him by accountability court in the Al-Azizia verdict.

The NAB moved the appeal seeking to enhance his sentence in the same case.

An IHC division bench – comprising Justice Amir Farooq and Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kiyani – will conduct the hearing.

A decision will be made regarding Judge Arshad Malik’s video scandal before Nawaz Sharif’s main petition.

Nasir Butt – a central character in the video scandal – had requested to become party in the erstwhile premier’s appeal.

It is pertinent here to mention that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo had requested to make five persons as eyewitnesses in the case including a British expert.

Earlier on December 24, 2018, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supreme leader was sentenced to seven years in prison in the Al-Azizia reference.

The accountability court judge Muhammad Arshad Malik had announced the verdict in the two references namely Al-Azizia and Flagship Investment and sentenced the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supreme leader to seven years in prison and ordered him to pay $25million and Rs1.5 billion as fine.