ISLAMABAD: An accountability court in Islamabad is scheduled to announce its verdict today (Monday) in the Flagship Investments and Al-Azizia Steel Mills references against the Sharif family ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif.
Accountability court II, presided over by Judge Mohammad Arshad Malik, had reserved its judgment in both references on December 19.
Entry to the court has been restricted and security across the city has been beefed up. No one will be allowed to attend proceedings on Monday except those having permission of the registrar. Rangers and police officials have been deployed around the court premises.
In a show of power and solidarity, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party leaders and workers have gathered outside the court premises to show their support. PML-N Spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb and veteran politician Javed Hashmi have also reached the court premises.
The former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif arrived in Islamabad on Sunday, for the verdict in the remaining two corruption references filed against the Sharif family being announced by an accountability court on Monday.
Upon his arrival in Islamabad, the PML-N Supremo met with his brother and party president Shahbaz Sharif and other senior party representatives and legal aides.
On July 28, 2017, the SC in its verdict in the Panama Papers case disqualified then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif from his position and directed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to file three references against the Sharif family’s Avenfield Properties, Al-Azizia Steel mills and Flagship Investment.
In September 2017, NAB filed three references and on July 6, 2018, an accountability court, presided over by Judge Mohammad Bashir in the Avenfield reference, sentenced Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law Captain (retd) Safdar Awan to 11 years, eight years and one year in prison respectively.
In the remaining two references — the UK-based Flagship Investment Limited and Al-Azizia Steel Mills — Judge Arshad Malik reserved the verdict on December 19, later announcing December 24 as the day on which the verdict would be announced. The judge reached Accountability Court II on Sunday to write the verdict.
Hassan Nawaz Sharif, the former premier’s youngest son, set up an investment firm in 2001 by the name of Flagship Investment Limited with an office registered in the United Kingdom. At the time he was 25-years-old. The court, in this case, was tasked to determine the source of Hasan’s income to set up the investment firm.
With regards to Al-Azizia Steel Mills, Hussain Nawaz Sharif, the deposed prime minister’s older son, claimed that he received a sum of $5.4 million from his grandfather to establish the steel conglomerate in Saudi Arabia. The payment was made by a Qatari royal on the request of the older Sharif. Thereafter, scrap machinery was transported from their Ahli Steel Mills in Dubai to Jeddah to establish Al-Azizia in 2001.
Sharif gets verdict in graft cases against him today
Sharif gets verdict in graft cases against him today
- Accountability court will announce joint verdict in two graft cases against him
- He is already convicted in Avenfield case and is out on bail
Pakistan military says 12 soldiers killed in border fighting as Kabul calls for dialogue
- Military says 274 Afghan fighters killed, over 400 injured in ongoing operation
- Afghan authorities earlier said 55 Pakistani soldiers killed in retaliatory strikes
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s military said on Friday 12 soldiers had been killed in cross-border fighting with Afghan forces, as it detailed the scale of an ongoing border operation and accused the Kabul government of coordinating with militant groups targeting Pakistan.
The announcement followed days of escalating hostilities triggered by Pakistani airstrikes earlier this week on what Islamabad said were Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Daesh militant camps inside Afghanistan. Since then, both governments have reported retaliatory operations and issued conflicting casualty figures, marking the most serious deterioration in relations between the neighbors in recent months.
The 2,600-kilometer (1,600-mile) shared frontier between the two nations, a key trade and transit corridor, has remained closed to trade and movement since October 2025 amid recurring tensions.
Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, director general of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), told a news conference in Rawalpindi that Pakistani forces had repelled coordinated attacks at 53 locations along the border and responded under what he described as Operation Ghazab lil-Haq.
“While safeguarding Pakistan’s honor and territorial integrity, 12 brave soldiers have embraced martyrdom in the operation so far, while 27 have been injured and one soldier is missing in action,” he said.
Chaudhry said Pakistan had killed 274 Taliban fighters and injured more than 400, describing those figures as conservative estimates. He added that 73 Afghan posts had been completely destroyed along the border and 18 had been captured.
He said Afghan Taliban forces had launched physical raids “in collusion and in support of an internationally declared terrorist organization” and accused the Taliban administration of acting in coordination with militant groups.
“The Afghan Taliban regime is the master proxy of these terrorist proxies which are operating from Afghanistan,” he said.
Kabul has repeatedly said it does not allow militants to operate in its territory.
Chaudhry said Pakistan had targeted 22 locations across the border, including in Kabul, Kandahar, Paktia, Nangarhar, Khost and Paktika.
“All targets were selected with great care based on intelligence. They were military objectives, and utmost care was taken to avoid any civilian collateral damage,” he said.
He said the Taliban authorities faced a choice.
“Either they choose terrorists and terrorism or side with Pakistan,” he said.
KABUL CALLS FOR DIALOGUE
Separately on Friday afternoon, Afghan Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid called for talks to resolve the crisis.
“We have always emphasized peaceful resolution, and now too we want the issue to be resolved through dialogue,” he said.
In a detailed statement earlier in the day, Afghanistan’s Ministry of National Defense said it had carried out airstrikes inside Pakistan in response to what it described as Pakistani “aerial incursions” into Kabul, Kandahar and Paktia.
Afghan officials said 55 Pakistani soldiers were killed and that several posts were captured, claims denied by Islamabad.
None of the casualty figures or battlefield claims from either side could be independently verified.
Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar earlier said militants had attempted to launch drones inside Pakistani territory.
“Fitna al khawarij terrorists have attempted to launch small drones in Abbotabad, Swabi and Nowshera. Anti Drone Systems have brought down all the drones. No damage to life,” Tarar said.
“The incidents have again exposed direct linkages between Afghan Taliban Regime and Terrorism in Pakistan.”
Separately, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday visited General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, where he was briefed by the military leadership on the evolving situation.
According to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office, Sharif said there would be “zero tolerance” toward what he described as collusion between the Afghan Taliban regime and militant elements.
“Pakistan knows very well how to defend itself against any aggression,” the statement quoted him as saying, adding that the armed forces were ready to safeguard the country.
Regional concern
Cross-border violence has intensified in recent weeks, with Pakistan blaming a surge in suicide bombings and militant attacks on insurgents it says are based in Afghanistan. Kabul denies providing safe havens and says Pakistan’s security challenges are an internal matter.
The latest clashes mark the third major escalation between the neighbors in less than a year. Similar strikes last year triggered weeklong fighting before Qatar, Türkiye and other regional actors mediated a ceasefire in October.
Several countries, including China, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Iran, have expressed concern and urged restraint.
Operations on both sides were ongoing as of Friday evening.
