AT long last, justice prevailed and a verdict widely known as faulty has been overturned giving relief to PML(N) leader Mian Nawaz Sharif, who came back to Pakistan from London recently to face courts and resume normal politics. The Islamabad High Court (IHC), on Wednesday, acquitted the former Prime Minister in the Avenfield Apartments reference case. The court also dismissed the plea — filed by the National Accountability Bureau — in the flagship reference against Nawaz after the accountability watchdog withdrew it. The verdict was announced by a two-member bench comprising IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb on Nawaz’s appeal against his conviction in the case.
The acquittal has strengthened the general impression that the Sharif Family was victimized through the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) which initiated and filed references against its members on allegations that could not be substantiated during trials. In July 2018, an accountability court had handed the PML-N leader 10 years in jail in the Avenfield properties corruption reference for owning assets beyond known income and one year for not cooperating with NAB, both of which were to be served concurrently. The IHC had declared him a proclaimed offender in the case in December 2020. Following his return from the UK, the PML-N leader had filed an application seeking the restoration of his appeal against his conviction and on Wednesday the IHC set aside the verdict of the accountability court and accepted Nawaz’ appeal. The High Court had also acquitted the PMLN Vice-President Maryam Nawaz and her husband Captain (Rtd) Muhammad Safdar in the Avenfield reference due to lack of evidence. This is, indeed, a major relief to the PML(N) leader as the verdict might give him a boost in the electoral campaign but he still faces another hurdle because Nawaz was also awarded a seven year jail term and fine of Rs.1.5 billion in the Al-Azizia reference. The decision on his appeal in the case would determine his political fate and his candidacy to become Prime Minister of the country for the fourth time. The verdict also leaves a big question mark on the overall accountability process. The accountability watchdog was created with the objective of fighting the menace of corruption but unfortunately the institution remained embroiled in high profile cases that were devoid of substance. Legal experts point out that NAB’s failure to produce substantial evidence regarding property ownership, values and income assessments raises questions about the strength of the case from the outset. They also emphasized that expeditious handling of such cases, especially those involving major political figures, is crucial to ensure a fair electoral process. It is also hoped that under its new Chairman, the Bureau would focus more on genuine cases, especially those involving loot and plunder of the national wealth and tax evasion.
