Nawaz Sharif files supplementary plea in Al Azizia reference

ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday submitted a supplementary appeal in Al Azizia reference before Islamabad High Court seeking early hearing of the case.

The petition was submitted to the high court by Nawaz Sharif’s counsel Khwaja Haris.

The petition maintained that former premier’s fundamental  rights are being violated, hence a hearing on the appeal should be fixed at the earliest date possible.

The petition stated that a two-member IHC bench has heard the plea and clubbed petitions seeking suspension of Nawaz’s sentence with the appeal against his conviction in the reference.

Meanwhile, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has filed appeals on the accountability court''s verdict in Flagship and Al Azizia references.

The anti-graft body has maintained that it presented solid proofs against Nawaz Sharif on his financial malpractices in the Flagship reference, hence releasing him on the pretext of the benefit of the doubt would be contrary to the law.

In its second appeal, NAB has requested the court to extend Nawaz's seven-year sentence in the Al-Azizia case.

It is pertinent to mention here that an accountability court on December 24 had found the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader guilty in the Al Azizia Steel Mills reference and sentenced him to seven years jail.