Ousted Pakistani PM Sharif sentenced to 10 years in prison

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif gestures as he speaks to media after appearing before a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) in Islamabad, Pakistan June 15, 2017. Photo: Reuters

ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani anti-corruption court on Friday sentenced former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to 10 years in prison over the purchase of upscale London flats, prosecution lawyer Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi said.

Sharif, who is in London tending to his critically ill wife, is expected to appeal. His daughter Maryam, widely seen as his political heir, was sentenced to a seven-year term, Geo TV and several other TV channels said.

Sharif has previously described the court proceedings against him as politically motivated and a judicial witchhunt.