Nawaz Sharif, former Prime Minister of Pakistan has been sentenced to seven years in jail for corruption.
A Pakistan court on Monday said in its ruling that the former prime minister was unable to prove the source of income that led to his ownership of a steel mill in Saudi Arabia.
Sharif was sentenced to 10 years in prison by the same court on charges related to the purchase of upscale apartments in London, after the Supreme Court removed him from power. He was released in September pending an appeal.
Sharif’s supporters vowed that he would appeal the judgement.
“Appeal is our right, we will protest but will remain peaceful,” former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, who succeeded Sharif last year, told reporters outside the courthouse in Islamabad.
The court ruled on two charges related to Sharif’s assets: The ownership of the Al-Azizia Steel Mills in Saudi Arabia set up by Sharif’s father in 2001, and Flagship Investments, a company established by his son, Hasan Nawaz, and owns luxury properties in Britain.
Sharif was found guilty on the first charge seeking details on how his family came to control the steel mill. He was acquitted on the second charge.
The former prime minister denied the charges which he said were politically motivated. He accused the military and courts of working together to end his political career and destabilise his Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party.
