NAB prosecutor to file appeal against Nawaz Sharif’s acquittal in Flagship reference

ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau decided on Monday to file a case against acquittal of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in Flagship corruption reference against him.

The accountability court sentenced Nawaz Sharif to seven years in prison in Al-Azizia Steel Mills corruption reference, while acquitting him in the Flagship Investment reference.

A meeting was held under NAB Chairman Javed Iqbal today, where the decision was taken to file an appeal against the verdict in one of the references.

Following the former prime minister’s sentence today, the NAB team took him along from the court premises.

The NAB team took Nawaz Sharif to Adiala jail, from where he will be taken to Kot Lakhpat jail tomorrow morning, sources informed.

In a short verdict announced today, the court said there was concrete evidence against the former premier in the Al-Azizia reference, and that he was unable to provide a money trail in the case.

There was not enough evidence to convict Nawaz in the Flagship reference, thus he has been acquitted, the decision read.

The NAB had concluded its final arguments in the Flagship reference against Nawaz on Tuesday – the third and last reference against the PML-N leader. The anti-corruption watchdog had wrapped up its arguments in the Al-Azizia reference earlier this month.

On Friday, the court had accepted the request of Nawaz’s counsel to submit additional documents in the Flagship Investment reference and rejected NAB’s reservations.

On December 7, the Supreme Court had directed the accountability court to conclude the cases by December 24, after previously granting it seven extensions to wrap up the references initiated by NAB.