Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif on Monday moved the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to revive appeals against his conviction in the in the Avenfield and Al-Azizia references.

The three-time former premier filed petitions in the high court today urging the court to reinstate his earlier appeals and prayed for decisions to be based on merit.

Also read: Nawaz steers clear of court battle

Both appeals were previously dismissed by the court due to his non-appearance. Nawaz, who has just returned to Pakistan after a four-year self-exile, stated that he has not fully recovered from his illness and decided to return to Pakistan after observing the collapsing economic situation.

Avenfield case

In the Avenfield case, on July 6, 2018, a special accountability court announced its verdict in absentia, as Sharif’s wife was undergoing treatment in London. An appeal for a delay in the announcement was made, but it was not approved.

In the Avenfield reference, his co-accused Maryam Nawaz and Captain Safdar, were convicted, while appeals were dismissed due to his non-appearance. He further added that the court stated appeals can be filed again when summons or arrests occur. Due to his health issues, Nawaz was unable to appear before the court, emphasising that the bail conditions were not misused.