A Pakistan anti-corruption court on Tuesday acquitted the two sons of PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif in three cases of alleged corruption, nearly ending the legal woes faced by the former prime minister’s family.
Hassan and Hussain Nawaz were implicated in the Avenfield, Flagship, and Al-Azizia corruption cases in 2018 related to the Panama Papers. In 2018, the two brothers were declared proclaimed offenders after they failed to join the investigation in Avenfield Apartment, Al-Azizia and Flagship Investment cases filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
However, their trials were not held as they were abroad while their father Sharif, the main accused, was convicted in the Avenfiled and Al-Azizia corruption cases but acquitted in the Flagship case. The three-time former prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Sharif returned from London to Pakistan in October last year after ending his self-exile for nearly four years.
He challenged his conviction in the two cases and the Islamabad High Court acquitted him. This emboldened his sons to return from London to face the charges. They returned on March 12 after the court had suspended their absconder status until March 14 when they finally appeared before the court and were given bail. They had also asked the court to acquit them after the main accused was exonerated.
On Tuesday, the acquittal plea was heard by the accountability court. Judge Nasir Javed Rana after hearing the case, acquitted the two in all three cases. Earlier the same court granted Sharif’s sons major relief by revoking its earlier order declaring them proclaimed offenders and cancelling their permanent arrest warrants. With the cases against his two sons wrapped up with Tuesday’s acquittal, the entire family of Nawaz Sharif has been exonerated in cases which were launched against him and his family members in 2017 when he was disqualified by the Supreme Court.
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