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Nawaz, Maryam to be arrested at Lahore airport on arrival, flown to Islamabad: sources
Former premier Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz will be arrested upon arrival at Lahore's Allama Iqbal International Airport and handed over to National Accountability Bureau (NAB) officials, a well-placed source told DawnNewsTV on Tuesday.
The decision was taken during a high-level meeting chaired by Interior Secretary Yousaf Naseem Khokhar, which was attended by the provincial chief secretary, the inspector general of police Punjab, the NAB director general Lahore, director general of the Federal Investigation Agency and Islamabad's chief commissioner.
It was decided that Nawaz and Maryam would be flown to Islamabad on a helicopter following their arrest.
The officials present at the meeting decided that if the security situation in the capital is conducive, the father-daughter duo may be produced before an accountability court the same day. If security is uncertain, a judicial remand may be sought while Nawaz and Maryam are held at Rawalpindi's Adiala jail, where Captain Safdar is also currently imprisoned.
The officials also considered seeking assistance from Rangers to maintain law and order, the source said.
The duo, currently in London, is scheduled to return to Pakistan on July 13, a week after an accountability court sentenced them to serve jail time in the Avenfield corruption reference. The two were also slapped with fines of 8 million pounds sterling (for Nawaz) and 2 million pounds (for Maryam).
After the accountability court announced its verdict in the Avenfield corruption reference on Friday, NAB had obtained arrest warrants for Nawaz and Maryam.
The federal Law and Information Minister Ali Zafar had said that the two would be arrested immediately upon their arrival at any airport in the country "if they do not get bail before landing in Pakistan".
Speaking to reporters in London, Nawaz said that he and his daughter would land in Lahore and decide their future strategy once they arrive in Pakistan.
NAB officials had also arrested Nawaz's son-in-law, retired Captain Mohammad Safdar, in Rawalpindi and sent him to jail on Monday. He had also been sentenced by the accountability court to one year in prison on charges of abetment in the Avenfield reference.
Comments (61) Closed
hmm...they will cancel the plan now
good dont let them meet supporters or attend rallys
After arrival at lahore next programme ll be finalized as Nawaz said. Programme has been already sets out to send You in jail.
Here or there, day or night. So much publicity being offered to something that may or may not happen!
When the too are in fact in Pakistani airspace, is the time to annouce where they will be allowed to land and where they will be arrested.
Premature announcements of plans is counter-productive and may allow their uncouth followers to prepare their own plans ahead of time to frustrate the authorities - albeit temporarily.
Lets hope this is a warning to others who think they are above the law.
Security forces, please arrest both convicted Nawaz Sharif and his daughter without any topi drama or publicity as they want! Don't let them dictate their terms and treat them as an ordinary convicted criminals - no special treatments please!
Has anyone checked if Mr Safdar is still in jail? Surprised he hasn’t sorted his bail out yet...
As for father and daughter - authorities should not disclose their tactics beforehand - just arrest them and send them to jail ASAP but don’t say how
Dear NS you are not the one to decide your future strategy once landed in Lahore.
Excellent idea.....no fuss, clean cut!
For the sake of your sick wife and mother, both of you should not come to PK. The courts should show some compassion. After all, NS was an elected PM and deserves some respect. They will honor the verdict when things improve and really no need to put them thru further agony - no rush.
Excellent work
They both should face full force of law and accept all recommendation of courts.
The happiest day for Pakistanis in decades.
Good step. These thugs are not to be spared. Now they are playing with people emotions reaching to so low that waiting for sympathy vote....Shame on them
This how Pakistani kom repay you if u actually do something for its development No other prime minister accomplished anything major in their tenure Nawaz Sharif is being punished for Cepec for major highway projects that were actually completed
Good for Pakistan
Glad to hear that!
Now Nawaz wants chaos and anarchy to remain relevant in politics nothing else can save him.
Why all the drama, arrest them like any other ordinary people and put them in jail.
No convicted person should be allowed to speak to the public. Enough of these shenanigans!
They should be arrestes and banned from any press/media coverage to disturb law and order.
i don't think they will return back to Pakistan, they wanted to have a public show but now that plan has been ruined by NAB. No criminal should be allowed to make a mockery of rule of law the way Safdar did in Rawalpindi as if he's done some tremendous service for Pakistan.
The person who has belief in his integrity and on his people will come back. If not try bringing Musaraff.
Excellent much awaited news for the nation. Congrats Pakistan, justice has finally prevailed!
He is not coming
They should be arrested on sight, given a fair trial, if found guilty Pakistan should take a page out of China’s book (make an example of them). Unfortunately this is the only way to put a stop to ongoing, widespread corruption.
Remains to be seen what Lahore airport will look like on the 13th.
Today we see judiciary evolved itself to high level, and still using limited powers. Never heard or seen condemned convicts so arrogant like Nawaz Sharif and his daughter, under no circumstances they wish to abandon their business cum politics profession. The Apex Court declared them dishonest and liers, but they stick to their chorus of democracy & sanctity of vote. The SC introduction of mandatory Affidavit with papers to ECP will greatly sort out the rotten eggs from the fray. Let us hope the next government will comprise honest persons, and rule of law will prevail.
Flown... they should use one of the Red Line bus to transport them.
They are total idiots if they return back to Pakistan. First you looted billions of dollars and now you want to be jailed. Why did they took all that money? What is the use of that money if they don’t spend it? Just stay in London and enjoy the loot. You are not welcome in Pakistan
Real Drama. I guess only one will come and other will stay in London or wherever. Somebody is needed outside to fight their case otherwise aliens will shutdown everything against them. Likely only Mariam will come and you can put her in jail but you can’t stop her to become PM in 2023. She will be a force nobody can stop her and you will make her as popular or probably more than Benazir.
Good days are ahead for Pakistan.
They will be safer in Adiala than in London.
Overcouse what else would you like us to do. Send you back to London Business Class.
If you can do the time, don’t do the crime!
One wonders, so far why the father-daughter duo have been treated so royally?
People are afraid to even comment. Good going.
They will not come. Come on we all know that. And they should not also.
Zardari is next, hopefully.
Arrest Nawaz and Maryam and you will make martyrs of them. The BEST favor you can do for them.
Assets beyond his means? And,he is the only one?
The last couple of days and YouTube videos have shown why Nawaz Sharif may have decided to go back to a jail in Pakistan. Let this be a lesson to all Pakistanis who stash their loot abroad.
I dont think they are going to come to Pakistan.
@Concerned 1 - "Cepec" was signed during Zardari govt; even Chinese ambassador confirmed it last week. Don't listen to lies of convicted criminals.
Don’t let the two corrupt Shriefs make their arrest and criminal conviction a welcome event. They both be treated like felons. Thanks
Fingers crossed.Attendance on 13th at the airport will give an idea of Punjab voting mood on 25th.
I doubt about his return
What you sow so shall you reap.
@ahamed Justice delayed is justice denied
@Concerned 1 you are right! No other PM has looted the country as much as this man.
There seems to be a total lack of secrecy in sensitive matters in Pakistan!!
@Concerned 1 CPEC is not running on time - Shariffs took a big hand out on that one, highway projects they used their own steel- the punishment is for corruption....have you not been reading the papers?
@Concerned 1 I guess you haven’t read the judgement
@Ash2000 Er, she won’t be out of jail until 2025. Then she has a 10 year disqualification period, the next general elections after that 2038, so that is when she could become the PM
No bail should be issued to them.
Please give them a normal jail cell!! Not the VIP culture air conditioned rooms with Phone and internet and gourmet food !!
@Concerned 1 Do you have any idea of the charges of corruption this family is found guilty of? Entire nation is in trouble because of Nawaz and Zardari family.
These people have not learned their lesson for the last40 years,
Everyone talking about Nawaz now before the election. What a media hype!
The convicts will be dealt with according to law. No one will be allowed to take law and order in their hand beside peoples are convinced about the high corruptions by Nawaz Sharif and his family.
Inshallah they will be arrested and face the punishment
Land the plane in Rawalpindi instead of Lahore & followed by helicopter ride.
NS is found guilty & that means no politics.