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PESHAWAR, Jan 2: With the absconding former chief minister Aftab Sherpao returning to Pakistan on Jan 6, the officials of Regional Accountability Bureau have yet to receive any specific directives about him from the National Accountability Bureau, Islamabad.
An official at RAB office informed Dawn that they had been waiting for some directives from the quarters concerned about “how to deal with the cases of the former chief minister.”
The official claimed that they had also heard about some secret deal between the accused and the government, but it could only be confirmed after the RAB received any positive orders from Islamabad, supporting the former chief minister.
A RAB prosecutor said that in the absence of any order from Islamabad they would definitely arrest Sherpao as there were perpetual warrants of arrests against him, issued by different courts, including the high court. Moreover, he added, Sherpao was also convicted in absentia by an accountability court on Sept 20, 2000, and was sentenced to three years’ rigorous imprisonment.
The prosecutor informed this correspondent that under the Constitution of Pakistan, the President was empowered to pardon the accused. Similarly, he added, the federal and provincial government could also remit or commute sentences under the Criminal Procedure Code.
The legal team looking after the cases of Sherpao said that as he was not himself charged with any heinous offence and was only co-accused in different references, they expected that he would be granted bail in different cases.
They said: “Once Sherpao surrenders himself, his sentence of three years can also be suspended by the high court as his appeal has been pending there.”
A prosecutor cited the example of Azam Hoti, saying that he was allowed bail by the Supreme Court although he was sentenced to 14 years imprisonment. In most of the cases, he added, Sherpao would be dependent on the high court.
Four days after his arrival, the present Chief Justice of the high court Justice Sardar Raza will take oath as a judge of the supreme court and he will be replaced by Justice Mian Shakirullah Jan.
Justice Jan, seniormost judge of the high court, was elevated to the high court in 1994 when Mr Sherpao was the chief minister.
WELCOME PLANNED: The Pakistan People’s Party (Sherpao Group) has announced that it will give a rousing welcome to party leader Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao on his return to the country on Jan 6.
Speaking at a news conference at the People’s House here on Wednesday, Sikandar Khan Sherpao said that his father had decided to come back and join the mainstream politics in the country. “We know that the government will not allow party leaders and workers at the airport, but thousands of party worker will arrive in Peshawar to receive him,” he added.
He denied reports that his father had struck a deal with the present government “as being propagated by some anti-PPP circles.”
The party, he said, had mobilised the party units all over the NWFP to play an active role in the country’s affairs. “We have asked the government not to stop us from holding a peaceful show of strength,” he added.
He said: “If anything goes wrong on Jan 6, the government will be responsible for it. We want to receive our leader for which we have asked the workers to reach the airport.”
The presence of Aftab Khan Sherpao, he said, would end the political inertia in the country. He thanked all party workers busy making preparations for the Jan 6 event.
About his father’s expected arrest by the NAB, he said they would arrest him, but “we would go to the court.”
