LAHORE – Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz will be directly shifted to Adiala jail in Rawalpindi following their arrival on February 13 (Friday) at the Lahore airport, local media reported.
The National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) Lahore office has sent an application to its chairman Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal seeking a helicopter to shift both convicts, who have been sentenced to in the Avenfield verdict, to Pindi jail directly from Allama Iqbal Internation Airport in order to avoid any unpleasant situation.
Earlier, the anti-graft buster has decided to arrest the duo upon their return at the airport, while two teams have been formed which will be deployed at Lahore and Islamabad airports.
A decision to provide the chopper will be taken by the NAB chief in a meeting today. If he agrees, the matter will be sent to the cabinet division while the final decision will be made by the caretaker Prime Minister Nasirul Mulk.
The NAB officials fear that arrest of both father and daughter outside the airport would lead to the complicated situation as it occurred during the arrest of Captian (retd) Safdar, the son-in-law of the former premier.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Interior has summoned a meeting to design a security plan ahead of the arrival of Nawaz and Maryam. The meeting would be attended by the senior officials of NAB and FIA, Punjab IGP and others.
Maryam last evening shared her flight details to return to Pakistan with media persons. She said she will reach Lahore airport on Friday at 6:15 pm by Ittihad Airways’ flight EY-243.
Inter Law Minister Ali Zafar on Monday told reporters, “The government will implement accountability court’s order in letter and spirit and arrest Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz on their arrival at Lahore airport”.
“Let me make it clear that the law enforcement agencies will arrest Nawaz and Maryam on the airport to implement the court’s order,” he said.
The NAB has also announced that it will arrest the father and the daughter on their arrival in Lahore on Friday.
“On the announcement of the Sharif family that Nawaz and Maryam are arriving in Lahore on Friday at 6.15 pm we have written to the Punjab government to coordinate with NAB for their arrest at the airport,” a NAB official said.
He said the NAB would not allow Sharif to lead a rally. “We will make sure that Sharif and Maryam do not leave the airport and arrested there,” he said.
The accountability court Islamabad on Friday last handed down 10 and 7 years rigorous imprisonment to Sharif and Maryam respectively in the Avenfield properties corruption case filed by the NAB.
https://en.dailypakistan.com.pk/headline/sharifs-guilty-or-innocent-pakistan-awaits-accountability-courts-verdict-in-avenfield-case-today/
Maryam was given 7 years imprisonment for abetment after she was found “instrumental in concealment of the properties of her father” and one year for non-cooperation with NAB.
Sharif’s son-in-law Capt (retd) M Safdar who has been given one-year jail term for not cooperating with NAB, and aiding and abetting Sharif and Maryam has been arrested and sent to Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi.
