Sharif returns to Kot Lakhpat jail as six-week bail expires

Tariq Butt /Agencies

Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was to return to jail on Tuesday night following the expiry of his six-week bail in a corruption case. Sharif was expected to surrender to the jail authorities after Iftar, media reported.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader has been serving a seven-year prison term at Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat jail since Dec.24, 2018 when an accountability court convicted him in the Al Azizia Steel Mills corruption reference.

The case was filed in the wake of the Supreme Court’s July 28, 2017 order in the Panama Papers case.

The apex court on Friday had rejected a petition by Sharif for an extension of the bail granted to him on March 26 for six weeks on medical grounds.

According to media, Sharif was to arrive at the prison in a rally led by his daughter and PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz. She was to lead the “solidarity march” of party workers from the Sharif’s residence in Jati Umra to the jail, party spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb said.

The Home Department Punjab earlier instructed the three-time prime minister to reach the jail by 5pm on Tuesday and said his arrival in a procession would be against the law.

Protesting against the instructions, PML-N leader Rana Sanaullah said that Sharif’s bail is valid till the midnight of May 7.

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan sent Sharif well wishes on Twitter.

In an ironical tone, Awan said in a tweet, “May Mian Sahib [Nawaz Sharif] does not fall sick in the prison again. Hopefully, after spending six week at Jati Umra, his mental stress would have gone.”

Besides, Punjab government spokesperson Shahbaz Gill has termed it

“bizarre logic” that it was being planned to take a convicted person in the jail in a form of procession.

He maintained that Sharif was convicted by the court, and released on a six-week bail, and is returning back to his prison.

“Instead of carrying out rallies, it is a matter of shame,” he said, adding that these are old tactics of the PML-N to escape accountability and garner public support.

He asserted that in “Naya Pakistan,” the law will be equal for the rich and the poor, and suggested supporters of the party to advise their leadership to return the looted wealth of the general public.

Meanwhile, it is reported that leader of the opposition in the National Assembly and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shahbaz Sharif will fly back to Pakistan from Britain before the federal budget to be unfolded on May 24.

He laughed off rumours that he has escaped from Pakistan and will not be returning. He confirmed that he will be back in Pakistan in a matter of days.

“I can confirm that I will be back in Pakistan before the budget session of the National Assembly. I have a few medical check-ups to attend to in the next few days and will be going back to Pakistan after that. It could be much sooner than the budget session, subject to clearance from the doctors.”

Shahbaz has appointment with a West London cancer specialist on May 8 and then another appointment on May 14. He may be suggested a few more tests after which he will be returning to Pakistan.

Fake news have made rounds in the last two weeks on social media that Shahbaz may not be going back Pakistan and while several PML-N leaders including Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Khawaja Asif have confirmed that Shahbaz will be returning; it is for the first time that Shahbaz himself has confirmed his return date, putting to rest all rumours.

Shahbaz has been in London for over three weeks now and has met a number of doctors during the course of his stay. He has undergone various tests as part of his medical check-ups, especially for the pain he developed while in custody of National Accountability Bureau (NAB). He has met doctors for consultations on related to his historic chronic backache, with the latest episode starting in December 2018. He has also met cancer specialist who has been consulting him on cancer treatment for several years.