The Islamabad High Court (IHC) in Pakistan has acquitted Nawaz Sharif, the leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and former Prime Minister, in the Al-Azizia Steel mill corruption case. This significant decision comes as Sharif eyes a potential fourth term as premier in the forthcoming elections.
Nawaz Sharif, aged 73, was previously sentenced to seven years in prison and faced substantial fines by an anti-corruption court back in December 2018. The case revolved around the Al-Azizia Steel mill, established by his father in Saudi Arabia in 2001. Despite Sharif’s attempts to prove his disassociation from the mill, the anti-corruption court handed down the sentence.
However, the recent verdict by the Islamabad High Court on Tuesday resulted in Sharif’s acquittal in the Al-Azizia reference, marking a pivotal turn in this legal saga.
This isn’t the first legal battle for Sharif. He had previously faced convictions in the Avenfield case, resulting in a ten-year prison sentence in July 2018, although he was later acquitted. Additionally, in the Flagship corruption case, the court had declared him innocent in 2018, a decision challenged by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and later brought to the IHC.
The backstory of the Al-Azizia case intertwines with Sharif’s exile in Saudi Arabia following the overthrow of his government in 1999 by former military ruler Pervez Musharraf. Sharif’s family remained connected to the steel mill, with his son, Hussain Nawaz, overseeing its administrative affairs during his exile period.
Sharif, having served as Pakistan’s Prime Minister three times, returned to the country in October with aspirations to lead his party in the forthcoming general elections scheduled for February 2024.
The Islamabad High Court’s decision in the Al-Azizia case not only marks a legal triumph for Sharif but also adds momentum to his political resurgence, potentially reshaping Pakistan’s political landscape in the upcoming elections.
Sources By Agencies
