Interim Punjab govt refers case of suspension of Nawaz Sharif’s sentence in Al-Azizia reference

Interim Punjab government on Tuesday approved the suspension of Nawaz Sharif’s sentence in the Al-Azizia reference!

However, caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi clarified that the case had been forwarded to the court.

Earlier, Caretaker Information Minister Aamir Mir confirmed the Punjab cabinet’s move.

Caretaker Information Minister Aamir Mir said that the decision was taken while exercising its constitutional powers under Section 401 of the Criminal Procedural Code (CPC), which also authorizes it to pardon any offender.

The approval was given through a circulation summary.

“The final decision of the case will be taken by the court itself,” he added.

On the other hand, the Islamabad High Court on Tuesday extended PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif’s protective bail in the Avenfield and Al-Azizia cases till October 26.

The development comes after the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) said it had “no objections” to the plea filed by the deposed prime minister.

It should be noted that Nawaz Sharif had been convicted by an accountability court in both the Avenfield and Al-Azizia Steel Mills references.

In July 2018, ousted Nawaz was sentenced to 10 years in jail in the Avenfield properties corruption reference for owning assets beyond known income and one year for not cooperating with the NAB, which was to be served concurrently.

The Al-Azizia Steel Mills corruption reference pertains to the case in which Nawaz Sharif was sentenced to seven years in jail on Dec 24, 2018, and then taken to Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail, from where he was shifted to Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat jail next day.

Nawaz Sharif was also fined Rs1.5 billion and US$25 million in the case.