The sentence of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo, Nawaz Sharif, in the Al-Azizia reference has been suspended by the interim Punjab cabinet, it emerged on Tuesday.
The decision by the provincial cabinet might raise concerns among other political parties in the country. Caretaker Information Minister Aamir Mir confirmed the Punjab cabinet’s move, saying the decision was taken while exercising its constitutional powers under Section 401 of the Criminal Procedural Code (CPC), which also authorises it to pardon any offender.
The approval was given through a circulation summary. “The final decision of the case will be taken by the court itself,” he added. Nawaz Sharif’s sentence was also suspended under the same law on medical grounds before he left for London in 2019 by the then PTI government.
The PML-N supremo had requested for his sentence to be suspended by the Punjab cabinet, Mir said. Upon arriving at the accountability court, Nawaz was called to the rostrum to mark his attendance, after which the judge allowed him to leave if he wished to go. However, the PML-N supremo’s counsel was present in the courtroom for further proceedings, while Nawaz left for the IHC.
The accountability court judge asked regarding the pleader. “Rana Muhammad Irfan is the pleader who is present in the court,” the lawyer said, assuring the court that Nawaz will appear in the court when ordered.
The judge then adjourned the hearing of the Toshakhana reference till November 20, calling for arguments on the appeal pertaining to property confiscation. He also suspended the PML-N supremo’s warrant in the said case after NAB prosecutor’s request. “Copies will be distributed at the next hearing,” the court stated while issuing a notice to NAB on the property confiscation request.
The IHC extended Nawaz’s bail pleas in the Al-Azizia and Avenfield references till tomorrow (Thursday), after issuing notice to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) over the pleas seeking restoration of appeals in the graft cases. A special bench headed by IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Gul Hassan Aurangzeb had taken up the pleas seeking restoration of appeals against the accountability courts’ verdicts in the graft cases. The high court had granted protective bail to the three-time prime minister – who returned to Pakistan after four-years-long self-imposed exile on Saturday – prohibiting his arrest in the case.
The anti-graft body had not objected to Nawaz getting the security bond. His counsel filed the petitions, requesting the court to hear the appeals on merit as earlier they were discarded for non-compliance when the PML-N supremo did not return from London after he was granted permission by the court in November 2019 to go abroad for medical treatment.
In the Avenfield petition, the PML-N chief maintained that he was sentenced in absentia on July 6, 2018 in Avenfield reference as he could not attend a court hearing in view of his wife’s ailment who was undergoing treatment and on the ventilator at a hospital in London.
Nawaz said his appeals against the Avenfield and Al-Azizia references were not dismissed on merit rather they were discarded for non-compliance. In the Al-Azizia Steel Mills corruption reference, the PML-N leader was sentenced to seven years in jail on Dec 24, 2018 and then taken to Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail from where he was shifted to Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat jail next day.
