Daily Times

An accountability court has released the detailed verdict of acquittal of former prime minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif in a plot allotment reference. Accountability Court Judge Rao Abdul Jabbar issued the 20-page detailed verdict on 27 objection applications, filed by Yousaf Abbas and other relatives of Nawaz Sharif, against auction of assets, owned by the former prime minister, in Lahore on Thursday. In its detailed verdict, the court held that it appears from the record that proper procedure, as envisaged under Section 87 and 88, had not been completed for declaring Muhammad Nawaz Sharif as a proclaimed offender, because the evidence of process server and another employee had not been recorded. As a result, “the whole proceedings become void ab-initio, having no legal sanctity being devoid of force,” it added.

The court observed that the proceedings under Section 87 and 93 (A) of Cr.P.C were always considered as a stopgap arrangement to compel the accused to appear before the court, adding that these proceedings were never considered to be a final judgement, and could be recalled, reviewed and set aside at any stage. The court held that the order for declaring Muhammad Nawaz Sharif as a proclaimed offender was alien to the law, hence, it was recalled in the interest of justice.

The court further held that the record reflected that Muhammad Nawaz Sharif had become a victim of political victimisation and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) authorities were constrained to prepare the reference at the behest of the then ruling junta to damage and destroy political carrier and goodwill of Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, who had been elected as the prime minister thrice. “Nawaz Sharif is entitled to the same relief, having a lesser role and on better legal footings as compared to acquitted co-accused,” it added. The court acquitted Nawaz Sharif from the charges levelled by NAB in the reference, while allowing the prayer made for his acquittal under Section 265-K of Cr.PC.

The court ordered NAB and revenue authorities to release the properties of Nawaz Sharif and applicants (co-sharers). The court ordered to send a copy of the verdict to the NAB authorities for information and compliance. “The case property, if any, shall be kept intact till the expiry of the period of appeal or revision,” it added. The court also withdrew perpetual arrest warrants of Muhammad Nawaz Sharif as well, while disposing of the applications. On June 24, through a short order, the court had acquitted Muhammad Nawaz Sharif of charges, levelled by the bureau in the reference. Reacting on the detailed verdict, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb said that acquittal of thrice-elected prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Quaid Nawaz Sharif in the plot allotment reference by an accountability court in Lahore clearly showed a political vendetta of the last PTI regime.

Addressing a press conference, she said the plots allotment case related to the tenure when Nawaz Sharif was the chief minister of Punjab. She said the owner of a leading media house was arrested in a fake case just to pressurize the media to toe the line of the then rulers. Similarly, journalists were arrested and targeted only to curb dissent views, and on that account the then prime minister was given the title of a ‘predator’ at international level.

She said the verdict of the accountability court was an eye-opener for those who had blindly followed the fake narrative of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). She said in the so-called illegal plots allotment reference it was alleged that Nawaz Sharif as Punjab chief minister had specifically favoured Mir Shakeelur Rehman to manage favourable media coverage. She said under the ‘NAB- Niazi nexus’, the National Accountability Bureau was given the task to to target political opponents of the PTI chief.

The minister said the accountability court had affirmed that Nawaz Sharif was targeted to have political avenge. The court also noted that no evidence of corruption was found against the PML-N Quaid, which led to his honourable acquittal. It was also pointed out that no legal requirements were fulfilled for declaring Nawaz Sharif as an absconder, she said, adding the process to target the PML-N chief and his family had commenced with changing ‘Panama to Iqama’. The minister opined that the objective of Asset Recovery Unit was to target and victimize the PTI chief’s political opponents, and gag the media. Now it was the divine justice that Shahzad Akbar had no courage to face the public on that count. With pressure on NAB, they managed to get false cases instituted against Nawaz Sharif, she added.