Pakistan court to give verdict on ex-PM Nawaz Sharif

A Pakistani court will announce its verdict in two corruption cases against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Monday in capital Islamabad following a deadline set by the Supreme Court earlier this month, court records and local media reported. 

Sharif will be present in the accountability court to hear the much-awaited judgment in the corruption cases commonly known as Al Azizia Steel Mills and Flagship Investment references, launched by the country's corruption watchdog National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in September 2017 on the top court's directives.  

If found guilty, the three-time premier could be sentenced to up to 14 years in jail. 

Postponement of verdict plea rejected

The court, which has indicted Sharif for allegedly making assets beyond his known sources of income, had reserved the judgment earlier this week rejecting the ex-prime minister's request for postponement of the verdict as he wanted to submit some more documentary proofs to support his case. 

Sharif, 68, had been sentenced to 10 years in jail in a corruption case by an accountability court in May this year, however, the Islamabad High Court suspended the conviction in September.  

Panama Papers scandal

In July 2017, he was disqualified by the Supreme Court over the Panama Papers scandal, which also led to the filing of three corruption cases. Not long after, the top court also barred him from holding the leadership of his party. 

Sharif, who served as the premier from 1990 to 1992, 1997 to 1999, and 2013 to 2017, could not complete even a single five-year term. 

His two previous governments were dismissed over corruption charges and through a bloodless military coup in 1992 and 1999, respectively.