Karachi, Pakistan (CNN) Former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has been found guilty of fresh corruption charges and sentenced to seven years in prison, a court ruled in Islamabad on Monday.

An accountability court sentenced Sharif to seven years in detention and fined him $25 million.

Sharif was found guilty of corruption charges relating to the purchase of Al-Azizia Steel Mills where prosecutors alleged that the Sharif family misappropriated government funds to buy the mills. The company was used by the Sharif's family to launder money, evade tax and hide offshore assets.

Sharif was immediately arrested and taken into custody by courtroom officials.

Meanwhile, supporters of the former prime minister held small protests outside the courtroom in Islamabad -- which tear gas was used to disperse them.

Read More</s>ISLAMABAD—Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was sentenced to seven years in prison by a Pakistani court Monday after being convicted in the second of three corruption cases against him.

The anticorruption court also imposed a $36 million fine and barred Mr. Sharif from holding office for 10 years. It acquitted him in the third case.</s>A Pakistani anti-corruption court on Monday jailed former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for seven years on graft charges he says were politically motivated.

The court found the three-time prime minister was unable to prove the source of income for the ownership of a steel mill in Saudi Arabia, Geo News reported.

Sharif was sentenced in July 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 from prison in September pending an appeal.</s>A court in Pakistan has sentenced former prime minister Nawaz Sharif to seven years in prison for corruption, drawing criticism from his party, which said the decision was a "black spot" on the justice system.

Monday's decision came after Sharif was removed from power last year over corruption allegations. Sharif, who was serving his third stint as prime minister, has denied any wrongdoing.

Sharif is accused of possessing assets beyond his known sources of income and was arrested after the ruling was announced. He can appeal the verdict, under which he was also fined $25 million US. The same court acquitted him in a second case.

"They had to punish him and they have punished him in a false case," said Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, a top leader of Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League party who served as prime minister when Sharif was removed from power last year.

"People will not accept this verdict," he said.

Sharif was sentenced to 10 years in prison in July over the purchase of luxury apartments in London. He appealed the sentence and was released on bail in September along with his daughter and her husband, who were co-accused in the case stemming from documents leaked from a Panama law firm.

The two cases on which the court ruled Monday were related to Sharif's foreign assets, which he insists are owned by his sons. His two sons, who are living in London, were declared absconders by the court.

Shortly before the verdict was announced, clashes erupted between supporters of Sharif and police in Islamabad. Several female supporters of Sharif were seen crying and chanting slogans.

Sharif's daughter, Maryam Nawaz, has suggested he is being punished for resisting "unseen forces," an apparent reference to the military, which has directly ruled Pakistan for half its modern history and retains a powerful role behind the scenes.

She wrote in a series of tweets Monday that the people of Pakistan were standing by her father.</s>Supporters of former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif protested outside an anticorruption court in Islamabad as officials sentenced him to seven years in prison on December 24. Sharif was convicted on charges of possessing assets beyond his known sources of income.</s>ISLAMABAD: The accountability court on Monday announced seven years sentence in prison to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in Al-Azizia Steel Mills.

National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has arrested the former prime minister Nawaz Sharif shortly after the accountability court convicted him in Al Azizia reference case.

Former premier Nawaz Sharif is being shifted to Adiala Jail in an armoured vehicle, however, the former premier has prayed in the court to shift him to Kot Lakhpat prison.

The court has reserved the judgment and would be announced shortly.

The accountability court Judge, Muhammad Arshad Malik announced the short verdict reserved on December 19 after completion of hearing in Al-Azizia Steel Mills and the Flagship Investment cases against the deposed PM last week.

The court also imposed a fine of $25 million in the Al Azizia case.

Nawaz Sharif’s son Hassan Nawaz and Hussain Nawaz were declared absconders in the case.

Last week on Wednesday, the accountability court judge has rejected application by Sharif’s lawyer Khawaja Harris to provide one week time to submit more documents but allowed him to submit additional documents.

On Yesterday, Supreme leader of PML-N Nawaz Sharif held a long meeting with Shehbaz Sharif at his Ministers’ Enclave residence to discuss the party matters and post-verdict scenario.

Both the leaders also agreed to seek support from the Pakistan People s party (PPP) to steer out of political quagmire. They also formulated the strategy to launch a mass contact campaign in view of the verdict landing Nawaz Sharif behind the bars (as the case may be).

Nawaz Sharif, in July 2017, was disqualified by the Supreme Court over the Panama Papers scandal, which also led to the filing of three corruption cases.

Nawaz and his sons, Hussain and Hasan, are accused in all three references whereas Maryam and Safdar were accused in the Avenfield reference only.

On July 06, an accountability court sentenced the former PM, daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law Capt (r) Safdar in Avenfield reference.

Currently, they are on bail granted to them by the Islamabad High Court which pointed out serious faults with judge Muhammad Bashir’s decision of sentencing them for having assets beyond means in the London apartments case. They were convicted without even tentative determination of the price of these flats by the judge as well as the NAB.

Anticipating an unforeseeable future, the PML-N supremo has formed an advisory body comprising senior leaders to run and look after the party.

ISLAMABAD: The accountability court on Monday announced seven years sentence in prison to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in Al-Azizia Steel Mills.

Last week on Wednesday, the accountability court judge has rejected application by Sharif’s lawyer Khawaja Harris to provide one week time to submit more documents but allowed him to submit additional documents.

On Yesterday, Supreme leader of PML-N Nawaz Sharif held a long meeting with Shehbaz Sharif at his Ministers’ Enclave residence to discuss the party matters and post-verdict scenario.

Both the leaders also agreed to seek support from the Pakistan People s party (PPP) to steer out of political quagmire. They also formulated the strategy to launch a mass contact campaign in view of the verdict landing Nawaz Sharif behind the bars (as the case may be).

However, former prime minister said that they will take a legal course of action whatever the accountability court decides in Flagship and Al-Azizia steel mills references.

Nawaz Sharif, in July 2017, was disqualified by the Supreme Court over the Panama Papers scandal, which also led to the filing of three corruption cases.

Nawaz and his sons, Hussain and Hasan, are accused in all three references whereas Maryam and Safdar were accused in the Avenfield reference only.

On July 06, an accountability court sentenced the former PM, daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law Capt (r) Safdar in Avenfield reference.

Currently, they are on bail granted to them by the Islamabad High Court which pointed out serious faults with judge Muhammad Bashir’s decision of sentencing them for having assets beyond means in the London apartments case. They were convicted without even tentative determination of the price of these flats by the judge as well as the NAB.

Anticipating an unforeseeable future, the PML-N supremo has formed an advisory body comprising senior leaders to run and look after the party.</s>ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Former Pakistani prime minister Nawaz Sharif was sentenced to seven years in prison on Monday and fined $25 million on corruption charges that he says were politically motivated.

The anti-corruption court in Islamabad said in its ruling that the three-time prime minister was unable to prove the source of income that had led to his ownership of a steel mill in Saudi Arabia. Under Pakistani law, this is taken to prove corruption.

Sharif had already been sentenced by the same court to 10 years in prison on charges related to the purchase of upscale apartments in London, after the Supreme Court removed him from power. He was freed from custody in September pending an appeal.

Sharif’s supporters said he would also appeal against his latest conviction.

“Appeal is our right, we will protest but will remain peaceful,” former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, who had succeeded Sharif last year, told reporters outside the courthouse.

Sharif was ousted and disqualified from holding office by the Supreme Court in July 2017, and convicted in absentia a year later. He was arrested on July 13 on returning from London.

The court ruled on Thursday on two charges related to Sharif’s assets: 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, that owns luxury properties in Britain.

Sharif was found to have been unable to demonstrate that his family had acquired the steel mill legitimately, but was acquitted on the second charge, relating to Flagship.

Sharif 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.

Sharif was once a favourite of Pakistan’s powerful generals but fell out with them. The military has denied exerting any influence over the court proceedings.

Daniyal Aziz, a former lawmaker from Sharif’s party, criticised the National Accountability Bureau, the watchdog that charged Sharif, and described the verdict as “the weaponisation of anti-corruption”.

“With each passing day an expression of a double standard is coming forward from the NAB,” Aziz said.

Before the verdict, hundreds of Sharif supporters threw stones outside the courthouse at police, who fired teargas.

Five months ago, Sharif’s PML-N lost a general election to the party of Imran Khan, the new prime minister whose anti-corruption campaign and street protests spurred the cases against Sharif.

PML-N and other opposition politicians allege the election was rigged to favour Khan, who is seen as close to the army. Both Khan and the military have denied colluding against Sharif and the PML-N.</s>Former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Monday has been sentenced to seven-year imprisonment by an anti-corruption court in an investment and Al-Azizia cases. The judgement in these cases was reserved by judge Muhammad Arshad Malik of an accountability court. Ahead of the verdict, the Supreme Court in Pakistan had asked the accountability court to give out the verdict in the pending corruption cases against the PML-N chief and former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif by Monday (December 24) following which the judgement in the case had been reserved by the accountability court.

The former Pakistan Prime Minister had arrived in Islamabad on Sunday from Lahore ahead of the verdict. Nawaz Sharif party PML-N workers ahead of the verdict had gathered outside the accountability court in order to support their leader. Earlier in July, an accountability court in Islamabad had sentenced the former Prime Minister and his daughter Maryam Nawaz to 10-year and 7-year imprisonment in several corruption cases against them.

However, later in September, Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law captain (retired) Muhammad Safdar had challenged the verdict in the Avenfield case against them following which the Islamabad High Court suspended their jail term after they gave a surety of Rs 5 lakh each.</s>ISLAMABAD － An anti-corruption court in Pakistan on Dec. 24 sentenced former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to seven years in prison for owning a steel factory abroad without disclosing its ownership.

The ruling was slammed by his daughter, Maryam Nawaz, as the "last hiccup of blind revenge.”

Judge Arshad Malik imposed hefty fines on the Pakistan Muslim League leader after ruling that Al-Azizia Steel Mills － a Saudi Arabian firm carrying the name of his son － belonged to the former Prime Minister and that he was unable to demonstrate how the project was funded, Dawn newspaper reported.

The police took Sharif, 68, into custody following the verdict by the National Accountability Bureau court here. He requested the judge to keep him imprisoned in Lahore, instead of the city of Rawalpindi near Islamabad.

The three-time Premier was expected to appeal against his latest conviction and maintained that he never misused his powers or indulged in corruption. "My conscience is clear as I never did corruption," he told reporters outside the court following the verdict.

His daughter took to Twitter to criticize the ruling, saying: "One man has been sentenced for the fourth time. This is the last hiccup of blind revenge."

Sharif's sons － Hassan and Hussain － who are not in Pakistan, were declared absconders.

Sharif was, meanwhile, acquitted in another case of alleged corruption concerning the Flagship Investments firm in the UK for lack of evidence.

He and his sons were also accused of using 16 offshore companies to acquire and manage expensive properties.

A disqualification of 10 years from holding any public office was part of the sentences awarded to Sharif, said NAB special prosecutor Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi. The disqualification will go into effect following his release from jail after serving the seven-year sentence.

Sharif was taken away from the court premises amid strong security measures. The verdict led to clashes between his supporters and the security forces guarding the court.

The agitated PML-N supporters tried to enter the court and threw stones at the police personnel, who responded with tear gas.

Former Prime Minister and PML-N leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi termed the verdict "another black decision" and said there was neither any evidence nor any witnesses in either case.

"This is another black (day) for Pakistan, another black decision," he said.

The verdict was hailed by the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), whose Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said that the "real face of Nawaz Sharif has been unmasked today.”

He said that the people who were still defending Sharif "should be ashamed of themselves because the money involved in the scam belonged to the people of Pakistan.”

The trial against the Sharifs commenced on Sept. 14, 2017 after Pakistan's anti-corruption body filed three cases relating to the Avenfield properties case, Al-Azizia Steel Mills and Flagship Investment Limited on the Supreme Court's directives in the landmark Panamagate verdict.

Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law Muhammad Safdar were sentenced to 10 years, seven years and one year in prison, respectively by the same court in July in the Avenfield case － ownership of four luxury flats in London. They later bailed on appeal when the Islamabad High Court suspended their sentence in September.

The Supreme Court had set the deadline for Dec. 24 to wrap up the remaining two corruption cases against the former Prime Minister.

Sharif's sons are accused in all three references whereas daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law Muhammad Safdar were accused in the Avenfield reference only.</s>Former Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif has been sentenced to seven years in prison for corruption and acquitted in a second case.

The verdict came after Sharif was removed from power last year over corruption allegations.

Sharif, who was serving his third stint as prime minister, has denied any wrongdoing.

He is accused of possessing assets beyond his known sources of income.

Sharif was arrested after the ruling was announced.

He can appeal against the verdict.

Sharif was sentenced to 10 years in prison in July over the purchase of luxury apartments in London.

He appealed against that sentence and was released on bail in September.
Former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is sentenced to seven years in prison after being found guilty of corruption.