NAB request for physical remand of Shahbaz turned down

Published December 7, 2018
POLICEMEN beat up a supporter of PML-N on arrival of Shahbaz Sharif at the accountability court on Thursday.—M. Arif / White Star
POLICEMEN beat up a supporter of PML-N on arrival of Shahbaz Sharif at the accountability court on Thursday.—M. Arif / White Star

LAHORE: An accountability court on Thursday turned down a request of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for further physical remand of the Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif in the Ashiyana-i-Iqbal Housing Scheme and Ramzan Sugar Mills cases and sent him to jail on judicial remand.

This time situation outside the judicial complex turned ugly as police baton-charged workers of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) for trying to cross security barricades on all roads leading to the complex. Several workers received injuries during the action.

The police also denied access to media personnel to the judicial complex and manhandled some of the journalists when they tried to enter the premises.

Police baton-charge PML-N workers trying to cross security barricades outside judicial complex

SP headquarters Karar Hussain, who was present on the spot, claimed that he had orders from the high-ups to restrict entry of the media persons.

As the proceedings resumed, Judge Syed Najmul Hassan Bokhari took notice of noise created by lawyers belonging to the PML-N outside the courtroom. The lawyers later stopped their sloganeering when Shahbaz Sharif himself requested them to remain silent.

Submitting an application seeking extension in the physical remand of Mr Sharif, NAB special prosecutor Waris Ali Janjua told the court that a personal servant of the Sharif family, Masroor Anwar, had deposited Rs55.4 million in the bank account of Mr Sharif. He said the same man had also deposited Rs3 billion cash in the bank account of one Malik Maqsood. He said Maqsood used postal address of Mr Sharif in his bank details.

The prosecutor stated that the opposition leader was able to justify Rs22 million only, but failed to furnish any document about the remaining amount.

Mr Sharif’s counsel, Amjad Pervez, argued that NAB knew the name of Masroor Anwar from day one but disclosed it now in a bid to prolong the physical remand. He said NAB narrated a new story on every hearing.

The counsel said Masroor Anwar was an employee of the Ramzan Sugar Mills while he expressed ignorance about the identity of Malik Maqsood. He said Mr Sharif had no link to the sugar mills as his sons were its shareholders.

Advocate Amjad said NAB had been misleading the court from the very beginning only to drag remand. He pointed out that disclosure of gifts was not mandatory under the law till 2011. However, he said, later his client disclosed the gifts in tax returns for the year 2012 as the law stood amended by that time. He said the value of the gifts given by Mr Sharif were not beyond his income. The counsel contended that his client had been subjected to victimisation for being in politics.

The prosecutor requested the court to grant further remand of Mr Sharif as it was yet to be determined whether the suspected amount belonged to Ramzan Sugar Mills.

However, the judge turned down NAB’s request and sent Mr Sharif to jail on judicial remand till Dec 13. The judge observed that the bureau could investigate Masroor Anwar if so required.

‘Better’ class jail facilities

Later, Mr Sharif was shifted to Kot Lakhpat jail where he had also been provided “better” class prison facilities following a notification issued by the Punjab home department.

NAB arrested the former chief minister on Oct 5 in the Ashiyana-i-Iqbal Housing Scheme scam when he appeared before it to join investigation in the Punjab Saaf Pani corruption case. The next day (Oct 6) NAB obtained first physical remand of Mr Sharif for 10 days. The PML-N’s president underwent physical remand of 62 days.

Under the law, NAB can keep an accused in physical remand up to 90 days with time to time approval by the court.

During his physical remand, the opposing leader attended three sessions of the National Assembly after the speaker issued his production orders. The NA speaker has also issued a fourth production order of Mr Sharif for his attendance in the session of the lower house of parliament starting from Dec 10.

Advocate Azam Nazir Tarar, who heads legal panel of Mr Sharif, told Dawn that decision on filing bail petition would be taken after a due consultation.

Talking to the media, meanwhile, PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb said that Mr Sharif had been attending proceedings for almost two years, but the investigators still could not tell people what wrong he had done.

She said the PML-N leaders had been appearing before courts on a daily basis, but Prime Minister Imran Khan’s sister Aleema Khanum had been given an NRO-like deal from a secret door. She alleged that Mr Khan was behind the money laundering committed by his sister.

She alleged that behind the arrest of Mr Sharif was a NAB-Niazi ‘alliance’. She said the whole world acknowledged the development projects carried out by Mr Sharif as chief minister of Punjab.

Ms Aurangzeb condemned the baton-charge by the police on party workers and said an application would be filed for registration of a case against the police personnel.

Ms Aurangzeb brought a basket filled with eggs inscribed with unfulfilled promises of PM Khan.

Published in Dawn, December 7th, 2018

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