ISLAMABAD: The capital administration on Monday declared the house of the opposition leader in National Assembly located in the Ministers’ Enclave a sub-jail to detain PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif in connection with a National Accountability Bureau (NAB) case against him.

The house will remain a sub-jail till the conclusion of the National Assembly session, which started on Monday.

A notification issued by the capital administration said: “In exercise of powers vested in under Section 541 of the Criminal Procedure Code 1860 read with Section 3 of the Prison Act 1894 and all other powers enabling in this behalf vide Ministry of Justice and Parliamentary Affairs notification issued in pursuance of Article 2 of Islamabad Capital Territory Administration Order 1980 and a request of Government of Punjab, the chief commissioner Islamabad is pleased to declare the premises of House No 26 Ministers’ Enclave as a sub-jail for keeping Mian Mohammad Shehbaz Sharif, under trial prisoner in NAB case, from Monday Dec 10 and till the conclusion of this session(s) of National Assembly.”

The outer guard of the premises will be provided by the capital police, it added.

Shahbaz Sharif will be kept in sub-jail till conclusion of National Assembly session

When contacted, a senior official of the capital administration told Dawn that the house was allotted to Mr Sharif as he was the opposition leader in the National Assembly. The decision to declare the house a sub-jail was taken on the directives of the Ministry of Interior which had been approached by the Punjab Home Department.

According to an official in the ministry, the secretary interior was requested in writing by the Home Department that Mr Sharif was being taken to Islamabad to attend the National Assembly session starting on Dec 10 which may continue for two weeks.

It was further requested that the residence of the opposition leader in Islamabad be declared a sub-jail till the conclusion of the session.

Another officer of the capital administration said the Home Department had been informed about the fulfillment of its request and asked to arrange staff for the sub-jail. Later, he added, a team of officials from Adiala reached the Ministers’ Enclave and took the sub-jail into their custody.

A police officer told Dawn that security in the Ministers’ Enclave was already tight and there was no need for extra measures.

However, keeping in view the direction of the capital administration, a team of police officials has been deployed in the street where the sub-jail is located.

Published in Dawn, December 11th, 2018