The Division Bench of the Lahore High Court Rawalpindi bench acquitted the former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in the helicopter reference here on Friday.
The Division bench comprising Mr. Justice Tariq Shamim and Mr. Justice Saeed Ijaz - the Judges of the LHC Rawalpindi Bench set aside the sentence awarded by the National Accountability Bureau in 2000.
The short order said: “the Prosecution has failed to prove its case”.
The former Prime Minister had challenged the 14 year sentence and Rs. 500,00,000 fine awarded by an Accountability Court for alleged illegal purchase of a helicopter.
The Appellant in his appeal prayed for setting aside the judgment as it was announced due to the political reasons.
The NAB lawyer completed his arguments on Friday. He argued that Nawaz Sharif returned to Pakistan in the 2007 and he would have approached the court at that time.
He prayed for the dismissal of the case and it has become time-barred.
The Appellants’ lawyer Khawaja Haris stated that the helicopter was not purchased by the Appellant but it was taken on lease for the election campaign. Moreover, he argued that the Appellant has stated about the helicopter in income tax statement.
NAB can appeal against the judgment in the Supreme Court of Pakistan.