CM Maryam Nawaz's brothers acquitted in three corruption cases

An accountability court on Tuesday acquitted Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz's brothers, Hasan and Hussain, in three corruption cases, Al-Azizia Steel Mills, Avenfield Apartments, and Flagship Company.

Nawaz Sharif's sons were acquitted after the court admitted their acquittal plea.

During the hearing, NAB prosecutor Afzal Qureshi informed the court that the accountability body had not filed an appeal against the PML-N leaders or CM Maryam Nawaz. 

He added that the main accused, Nawaz Sharif, in the case had already been acquitted earlier. 

Advocate Qazi Misbah, Hasan and Hussain's lawyer, said that the  Islamabad High Court (IHC) had acquitted the three-time premier after relying on the same documents that resulted in the acquittal of CM Punjab. 

“NAB had not filed an appeal against the acquittal of Maryam Nawaz and if the main accused in the case is acquitted, the case cannot proceed on the charge of aiding and abetting," Misbah said while reading the short decision of Nawaz’s acquittal in the court.

"In the flagship reference, Nawaz was acquitted by the trial court and NAB had withdrawn its appeal on November 29, 2023, against the decision of the trial court," he added.

“Now the decision of the accountability court is final, the third case was the Al-Azizia reference, the trial court sentenced Nawaz and on December 12, 2023, the IHC acquitted Nawaz in the Al-Azizia reference,” he added.

Misbah said the NAB did not file an appeal against acquittal of Nawaz and failed to provide any evidence in the case.

He argued that the court could not convict suspects on the basis of the evidence available to the court.

Following the arguments from both sides, the court acquitted Hasan and Hussain and also cancelled the brother's fugitive status in the said cases.