Interior Ministry ready to provide full security to Nawaz Sharif: Sheikh Rashid

In a statement, Sheikh Rashid said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) got the vote to bring back the nation’s looted wealth.

The home minister added that Pakistan is to soon sign criminals extradition agreement with Britain.

He said that the opposition is a “wet bite” for Imran Khan while they cannot create a fuss or problem for him.

The reaction came after, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) rejected appeals of former Prime Minister and PML-N Supremo Mian Nawaz Sharif in both Avenfield and Al-Azizia references.

The appeals were turned down against his punishments awarded by the Accountability Courts in Panama reference.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Aamir Farooq and Mohsin Akhtar Kyani announced the verdict.

"Nawaz Sharif can submit an appeal application against the verdict in case he returns to Pakistan or arrested," the IHC bench ruled. "There was no other option except to reject the appeals as Nawaz Sharif is absconder in the cases."  

The rejection of appeals means restoration of punishments. The IHC had reserved the decision in its previous hearing.

In July 2018, an AC announced the verdict in the Avenfield properties corruption reference filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), handing ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif 10 years as jail time for owning assets beyond known income and 1 year for not cooperating with NAB. 

In December 2018, Nawaz Sharif was again convicted by another accountability court in the Al Azizia Steel Mills reference and sentenced to seven years in jail. He has been acquitted in the Flagship reference.

Fawad on Nawaz Sharif's case

Federal Information and Broadcasting Minister Chaudhry Fawad Hussian has termed the court's decision on Nawaz Sharif case a victory of justice, people of Pakistan and the government as everybody knew how the former premier escaped from the country.

"The Sharif family should return the money they had looted from the masses of Pakistan."

Talking to the media, the minister said keeping in view the evidence the court ruled that Nawaz had made lies about his properties and assets. "London flats were purchased from the money laundered in the name of Hudabya Papers Mills." 

He said the appeal of Maryam Nawaz, the daughter of Nawaz Sharif, would also follow principles of justice and merit.