ISLAMABAD: An accountability court on Tuesday granted relief to former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s sons, Hasan and Hussain, in their petitions seeking acquittal in corruption cases related to the Al-Azizia Steel Mills, Flagship company, and Avenfield apartments.
During the court proceedings, the counsel for the brothers, Qazi Misbah, highlighted that Nawaz Sharif had been exonerated by the trial court in the Flagship reference, and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had withdrawn its appeal against the trial court’s verdict on November 29 of the previous year.
Misbah argued that proceedings against Hasan and Hussain could not continue solely on allegations of abetting in a crime when the primary suspect had been acquitted.
At the start of the hearing, Deputy Prosecutor NAB Azhar Maqbool was asked about the report he was supposed to submit regarding the plea. Maqbool informed the court that the Supreme Court’s verdict did not impede the case, thus the court could proceed with its decision on the petition.
Maqbool requested the court to record his statement, clarifying that the petition was not related to the NAB amendment. He pointed out that in cases involving Nawaz, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, and Capt (retd) Safdar, the high court had already announced its verdict.
He mentioned that NAB did not appeal against Maryam’s acquittal, but Hasan and Hussain were accused of abetting and conspiring.
The NAB prosecutor emphasized that the main suspect in the cases involving Hasan and Hussain had been acquitted.
In defense, Misbah stated that Nawaz had been exonerated using the same documents on which Maryam was acquitted, and NAB did not appeal against their acquittal. He noted that the Islamabad High Court’s verdict in the case was available on the court’s website.
Misbah argued that NAB failed to present any evidence in the reference against Maryam and Nawaz, resulting in their acquittal by the IHC.
“In December 2023, the IHC accepted Nawaz Sharif’s appeal in the Al-Azizia case. NAB did not contest the decision to uphold Nawaz Sharif’s appeal,” he concluded.
