An anti-corruption court in Pakistan will deliver its judgment today in two remaining corruption cases against ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif.
Judge Muhammad Arshad Malik of the Islamabad-based accountability court last week reserved the judgment after the hearing in the Flagship Investment and Al-Azizia cases against 68-year-old Sharif was completed.
The verdict will be announced today, the revised deadline set by the Supreme Court to wrap up the remaining two corruption cases against the three-time former prime minister.
Nawaz Sharif was looking at a prison sentence of up to 14 years if found guilty.
The accountability court had indicted Mr Sharif for holding assets beyond his known sources of income in August 2017.
Last week, the judge rejected an application by Mr Sharif's lawyer Khawaja Harris to provide one week time to submit more documents but allowed him to provide any document by Friday last.
The judge also observed that the court was bound to follow the December 24 final deadline set by the Supreme Court.
Three cases - Avenfield properties case, Flagship Investment case and Al-Azizia steel mills case - were launched by the National Accountability Bureau on September 8, 2017 following a judgment by the top court that disqualified Mr Sharif as prime minister.
The top court initially set a six-month deadline to conclude the cases but it was subsequently increased around eight times on the request of the accountability court.
Mr Sharif was disqualified by the Supreme Court in the Panama Papers case in July, 2017.
In July, 2018 Sharif, his daughter Maryam and his son-in-law retired captain Mohammad Safdar were sentenced to 11 years, eight years and one year respectively in prison in the Avenfield properties case related to their purchase of four luxury flats in London through corrupt practices. However, the three were bailed out by the Islamabad High Court in September.
His two sons - Hassan and Hussain - were also co-accused in all three cases but they were declared absconders for failing to appear before the court even for a single time.
The court decided to hear their cases separately once they returned.
The three-time former prime minister and his family have denied any wrongdoing.
Mr Sharif, who religiously followed the proceeding by appearing before the court for at least 78 times, told the media after the court reserved the judgment last week that he had not committed any corruption.
"Not a penny of corruption has been proven against me...I am very happy that I have done my duty, and I think that since I have stepped in politics I have never indulged in corruption nor have misused my power," he said.
Veteran politician Javed Hashmi on Saturday predicted that Mr Sharif will be convicted in the Flagship and Al-Azizia case as "the institutions won't let these (cases) prove false".
Talking to the media in Multan, he said that the purpose of the NAB was to make politicians change their political loyalties.
"I will not accept this decision as Nawaz Sharif will be convicted at any cost," he was quoted as saying by Dawn newspaper.
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