Pakistani ex-PM plea for suspension of prison term rejected

ISLAMABAD – A Pakistani court has rejected a petition from the country’s former prime minister Nawaz Sharif seeking suspension of his sentence on health grounds in a corruption case.

Sharif is currently serving a seven-year sentence at a prison in the eastern city of Lahore after being convicted of concealing assets abroad.

Sharif, who has a history of heart disease, served the country three different times as prime minister before he was removed from power on a court order in 2017 on corruption charges. Later, a court in 2018 sentenced him to seven years.

Sharif, along with other family members, faces several trials and the family has denied any wrongdoing.