VIDEO: Nawaz Sharif jubilant over acquittal in Al-Azizia reference

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Tuesday overturned the conviction of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif in the Al-Azizia reference.

Following the acquittal in Al-Azizia reference after Avenfield reference, Nawaz Sharif was spotted jubilant in the Islamabad High Court.

On December 24, 2018, an Islamabad accountability court handed down seven-year imprisonment to the former prime minister and imposed a fine of 2.5 million pounds in the Al-Azizia Steel Mills reference.

He had filed an appeal against the accountability court’s decision, pleading with the high court to set aside his conviction.

On November 29, the IHC had acquitted PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif in the Avenfield reference.

Though the three-time prime minister has been acquitted in the two cases, he still cannot contest the upcoming general elections slated for February 8 next year because of his lifetime disqualification as a parliamentarian.

On July 28, 2017, the Supreme Court had disqualified ex-PM Nawaz Sharif for failing to declare a receivable salary and ordered the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to file the Avenfield Apartments and Al-Azizia Steel Mills references against him in the wake of the Panama Papers revelations.