Caretaker government in Punjab has “suspended” the sentence imposed on former Prime Minister and PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif in the Al-Azizia reference.
Nawaz Sharif had previously been convicted by accountability courts in both the Avenfield and Al-Azizia references.
The accountability court had sentenced him to ten years in prison and imposed an eight million Pounds fine in the Avenfield case, and a seven-year sentence in the Al-Azizia reference. Additionally, he was disqualified from holding public office for ten years.
However, in 2019, the Lahore High Court (LHC) suspended his sentence in the Al-Azizia reference on medical grounds, allowing him to travel to London for medical treatment.
Sources familiar with the situation have indicated that the caretaker Punjab cabinet suspended Nawaz Sharif’s sentence under Section 401 of the Criminal Procedural Code, which grants the government the authority to suspend a convict’s sentence.
Nawaz Sharif recently returned to Pakistan on October 21 after a self-imposed exile of four years. He was warmly welcomed by the PML-N and addressed a large public gathering at Minar-e-Pakistan, where he outlined his plans for addressing the challenges facing Pakistan.
