Al-Azizia reference: Nawaz submits more documents to IHC to beef up appeal

ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif’s counsel on Friday submitted additional documents to the Islamabad High Court (IHC) as part of his appeal challenging the jail sentence awarded to him in the Al-Azizia Steel Mills corruption reference.

The court on Thursday permitted Nawaz to submit additional documents in his appeal. The additional documents, comprising 2,500 pages, have been submitted to prove that Nawaz has nothing to do with the Al-Azizia Steels Mill. The court will hear Nawaz’s plea on February 18 against his sentence. The sources said most of the documents submitted on Friday were attested and duly verified, and also contained statements of witnesses. Nawaz’s counsel would try to prove that his client was not the real owner of Al-Azizia Steels Mill.

“The lawyer of Nawaz Sharif on November 22, 2018 declined to present documentary evidence in his favor arguing in the court that the NAB had failed to prove that former prime minister was the owner of the Al-Azizia Steel Mills. But after the sentence awarded by the Accountability Court, Nawaz Sharif decided to provide documents to prove his innocence in this case,” the sources said.

The sources said the documents also carry the record of evidence already submitted to the trial court.