Former Prime Minister of Pakistan Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison

A court in Pakistan on Friday sentenced former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who was ousted from office, to 10 years in prison for financial corruption. His daughter and son-in-law also received prison sentences. According to Reuters, the 68-year-old Nawaz Sharif was convicted in absentia by the National Accountability Court of Pakistan for corruption related to the purchase of luxury homes in London. The court also sentenced his daughter, Maryam Nawaz, to seven years in prison and disqualified her from participating in the upcoming general elections on August 3. Additionally, Maryam's husband, Muhammad Safdar, received a one-year prison sentence. Prosecutor Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi stated that the ruling indicates that "the Avenfield apartments were purchased with corrupt money." These apartments are located next to Hyde Park in London. He mentioned that the court fined Nawaz Sharif $10.6 million and his daughter $2.6 million, and ordered the confiscation of the Avenfield apartments. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, a close associate of the former prime minister, stated that Nawaz Sharif and his daughter maintain they committed no wrongdoing and plan to appeal the court's decision. Following the announcement of the verdict, Nawaz Sharif, who is currently in London with his daughter, stated without giving a specific date that he intends to return to Pakistan. Currently, Nawaz Sharif's wife, Kulsoom Sharif, is undergoing treatment for cancer in London and has been in a coma for a month following a heart attack. According to the law, Nawaz Sharif will be arrested upon his arrival in Pakistan. However, he told the media on Friday that he will return to Pakistan as soon as his wife regains consciousness, adding, "I will continue my struggle even from inside prison." Nawaz Sharif has served as Prime Minister three times. However, the Supreme Court of Pakistan disqualified him last summer over financial allegations related to money laundering and corruption. That winter, the court also announced that Nawaz Sharif was barred from political activity. Now, the National Accountability Court of Pakistan claims that Nawaz Sharif and his family engaged in money laundering. The Sharif family purchased these apartments in the mid-1990s, and according to the court ruling, it is unclear how the funds for these apartments were obtained. Imran Khan, the rival of Nawaz Sharif's party and a prominent opposition figure in Pakistan who campaigned on an anti-corruption platform, expressed satisfaction with the ruling on Friday, stating, "Thank God that for the first time in history, a powerful individual has been convicted by Pakistan's justice system... From now on, looters will not come to power but will go to prison." The issue of the London apartments first came to light with the release of the "Panama Papers" in 2016. Following that, Imran Khan called for an investigation into the matter, which ultimately led to the Supreme Court beginning an inquiry.