Islamabad (Staff Report): Former premier Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday filed a supplementary plea in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) against the verdict in Al Azizia reference.
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 in prison.
The Former PM had filed an appeal against the punishment and also submitted a petition seeking suspension of the sentence.
Earlier on Tuesday, Nawaz Sharif filed a petition in the IHC to schedule a hearing of his appeal at the earliest possible date. The petition was submitted to the high court by Nawaz’s counsel Khwaja Haris.
Meanwhile, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) filed appeals against the accountability court's verdict in Flagship and Al Azizia references.
The accountability watchdog maintained that solid proofs were presented 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.
Moreover, NAB in its second appeal requested the court to extend Nawaz's seven-year sentence in the Al-Azizia case.
On December 24, the accountability court 2 of Islamabad had handed a seven-year imprisonment to Nawaz Sharif along with a fine of Rs1.5 billion and $ 25 million in the Al Azizia Steel Mills/ Hill Metal Establishment reference. It had, however, acquitted him in the Flagship Investment reference.