Pakistan court releases ex-PM Nawaz Sharif and daughter

Islamabad, Pakistan – Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and two family members were released from prison on Wednesday after being found guilty of corruption earlier this year.

Sharif, his daughter Maryam, and son-in-law Muhammad Safdar were convicted in July by an anti-corruption court of not being able to prove the source of assets used to buy a set of upmarket London flats.

After his release, Sharif flew to his family home in Lahore and was greeted by jubilant supporters at the airport. 

Earlier on Wednesday, Islamabad High Court judge Athar Minallah ruled the National Accountability Bureau, Pakistan’s anti-corruption watchdog, was unable to prove a financial link between the former prime minister and the apartments in question.

A two-member bench, led by Minallah, suspended the jail sentences while hearing the Sharifs’ appeal against their convictions.

Their convictions will stand, although their sentences have been suspended.

Sharif had been sentenced to 10 years in jail and a $10.5m fine, his daughter Maryam to a seven-year jail sentence, and a $2.6m fine, and Maryam’s husband Safdar to a year in prison.

Sharif remains barred from running for public office for life after the Supreme Court in April ruled he had lied on a parliamentary wealth declaration and the disqualification from that crime would last for an indefinite period.

‘No corruption proved’

Hamza Shehbaz, Nawaz Sharif’s nephew, said the family was thankful for the ruling.

“Today is a happy day that our leader will be released from jail. We are thankful to Allah. As I said earlier, this verdict from the anti-corruption court, it was clear that there was no corruption proved against Nawaz Sharif. Hopefully, we will show that there is nothing to this case.

“Today’s fundamental news is that the verdict by the anti-corruption court against Nawaz Sharif was very weak, and … hopefully, we will continue our legal battle against all the other cases.”

The National Accountability Bureau is expected to appeal the Islamabad High Court’s verdict at the Supreme Court.

Hearings in two other corruption cases against Sharif and his family are continuing at an anti-corruption court.

Wednesday’s decision will come as a blow to Sharif’s bitter political rival Imran Khan, who swept a July general election following Sharif’s conviction and jailing.

Khan, now prime minister, was in Saudi Arabia on a state visit when the decision was announced.