The former premier seeks suspension of the seven-year imprisonment sentence and Rs 1.5 billion fine awarded by accountability court Judge Arshad Malik on December 24, 2018 in a corruption reference filed by National Accountability Bureau (NAB). Nawaz's sons, Hasan and Hussain, were declared absconders by the accountability court. The former prime minister was acquitted in the Flagship reference.
In his petition, Nawaz maintains that the decision is based on assumptions and false interpretation of the law. It stated that the evidence was misperceived and the accountability court announced the verdict without hearing the objections raised by the accused. The appeal seeks suspension of the sentence and Nawaz's release on bail. The petition will be heard by a two-member bench of the high court.
Meanwhile, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) Wednesday raised objections and returned former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's appeal against the verdict in the Al-Azizia reference. On December 24, 2018, Accountability Court-II Judge Arshad Malik sentenced Nawaz to seven years in prison in the Al-Azizia corruption reference and acquitted him in the Flagship reference.
A day earlier, Nawaz's counsel Khawaja Haris had filed an appeal in the IHC. The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader had requested the high court to declare his sentence null and void, and release him on bail. However, the IHC registrar expressed reservations over the appeal. Declaring the appeal as incomplete, the registrar returned it and directed that it be filed again after the reservations have been addressed.