The leader of the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N), Nawaz Sharif, filed an appeal against his conviction in the Al-Azizia reference, and the Islamabad High Court (IHC) agreed to consider it on merits on Thursday. The former premier’s appeal was heard by a division bench that included Justice Mian Gul Hasan Aurangzeb and Chief Justice Aamir Farooq. The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) pleaded with the IHC to remit the appeal back to the accountability court during the case hearing. The bench, however, declined the NAB’s appeal and instead to consider the case on its merits. The leader of the PML-N entered the courtroom accompanied by his legal staff. In the Al-Azizia Steel Mills reference, the accountability court fined the former prime minister 2.5 million pounds and sentenced him to seven years in prison on December 24, 2018.