NewsOctober 27 , 2017
Warrants for Nawaz issued in NAB reference
ISLAMABAD: The Accountability Court (AC) here on Thursday issued bailable arrest warrants for Mian Nawaz Sharif in two corruption references. The court, at the same time, issued notices to the personal guarantors in one corruption reference as Nawaz Sharif did not appear before the court after expiry of his previous 15-day exemption from personal appearance.Dismissing Nawaz Sharif's application seeking exemption from personal appearance, the AC issued bailable arrest warrants for Nawaz Sharif in the Azizia Steel Company/Hill Metal Establishment and Flagship Investments corruption references while in the Avenfield corruption reference, notices were issued to personal guarantors. The AC judge, Muhammad Bashir, said that it was the last chance for the accused to appear.
On Thursday, a prosecution witness Jehangir Ahmed, Commissioner Inland Revenue Withholding Taxes (Lahore Zone), recorded his statement in the Flagship corruption reference.
Previously, the AC had allowed Nawaz Sahrif's application seeking an exemption from personal appearance on October 9 for 15 days time and that period expired on October 24.
Counsel for Nawaz Sharif, Khawaja Haris Ahmad, advocate, filed an application for exemption on the plea that the wife of his client was critically ill. He was in Saudi Arabia and intended to travel back to Pakistan but due to the medical conditions of his wife, he had to stay in London.
In the application, Nawaz Sharif said his wife was under treatment initially for lymphoma but subsequently for carcinoma as well. He cited this as the reason for his inability to return to Pakistan. The petitioner said that he was all set to travel to Pakistan when he came to know that his wife had been admitted to hospital on emergency basis and blood transfusion was administered to her. He added that she needed full support during the treatment. He said, “In these circumstances the petitioner is unable to appear before the court and one Zaafir Khan Tareen, advocate, appeared before the court on his behalf as a pleader.”
The petitioner sought another 15-day exemption. He attached with this application medical reports of his wife Kalsoom Nawaz that were generated from Leaders in Oncology Care (LOC) Healthcare, UK hospital. In the medical report, Dr Daniel Krell, Consultant Medical Oncologist, has diagnosed metastatic small cell carcinoma on unknown primary and high grade neuroendocrine tumor and Merkel cell tumor. As per medical report, Kalsoom Nawaz will undergo blood transfusion. Dr Krell suggested if her neutrophil level continued to improve, she would be discharged with a course of antibiotics. It is also mentioned in the report that Kalsoom Nawaz was undergoing chemotherapy.
The prosecution, however, vehemently opposed the exemption application and said that after expiry of his previous application, the pleader could no more represent Nawaz Sharif in the court. NAB Prosecutor Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi said if an accused did not appear before the court, under Section 92 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), his warrants of arrest were to be issued.
A prosecutor, Afzal Qureshi in a loud voice, said that the accused was not taking this court seriously. The AC judge, taking notice of this, said that he was not supposed to give his analysis. "You are not addressing a gathering of people. Your arms and ammunition consist of books, precedents and law journals and you better utilise the same," the AC judge said. "I am following the law and procedure," the AC judge added. "A judge is always neutral. He has no association with either A or B party and he has to follow the law," the AC judge said. Later, the AC judge put off this matter till November 3.
After the court proceedings, Maryam Nawaz, while talking to the media, tried to dispel an impression that it had been an accountability process in VIP style as alleged by former president Asif Ali Zardari who had suggested to immediately arrest the Sharif family and put them behind the bars.
Talking about this, Maryam said that it meant that they wanted sentencing first and then the trial. First they disqualified and then the trial proceeded. About the VIP accountability, Maryam while referring to Pervez Musharraf without naming him said, “It is like when you are being taken to the court and immediately your car takes a turn and you land in a hospital and hide yourself there. And to give him safe exit, there were four months long protest sit-ins outside the Prime Minister's House." She said that Musharraf avoided court proceedings at the pretext of back pain. On the other hand, a former prime minister (who was ousted on the issue of an 'Iqama') and his daughter appeared before the courts despite the fact that her mother was seriously ill and suffering from cancer. “This is what you call VIP accountability?” said Maryam.
Maryam parried this question whether PML-N government would issue red warrants for General (retd) Pervez Musharraf or not.
Maryam said that the people who were involved in conspiracies against Nawaz Sharif should understand that at the moment he was facing the accountability process. A NAB team recently visited London for proofs against him and returned empty-handed as there was nothing against the former PM. She said that there were no proofs against Nawaz Sharif and proofs were being manufactured and not searched. Soon, the conspirators would also face the music. She said that all were united in hatching conspiracies against the Sharifs.
She said that the way law had been put into motion in a quick fix against Nawaz Sharif and his family, the same way it should also be activated against some other elements like the former dictator. She said no judge dare hold the dictator accountable. The dictator escaped the country on the pretext of pain in the back. Without naming Imran Khan, she said that he was absconding from courts but nobody had the courage to arrest him.
Maryam expressed the hope that this government would complete its tenure. She once again refuted any dispute within the family or party and also clarified that she had no media cell of her own. She was just handling the media till Nawaz Sharif was the prime minister. She said that this was such a time in Pakistan when talking about democracy was tantamount to treason and making demand for justice had become contempt of court.
Courtesy www.thenews.com.pk
Back to Pakistanlink Home