Nawaz Sharif returns to jail as bail expires

LAHORE: Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif  returned to jail late on Tuesday following the expiry of his six-week bail in a corruption case.

PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif  arrived at the prison in a rally attended by  Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Khawaja Asif, Pervaiz Malik, Javed Hashmi and other prominent party leaders and workers.  

His nephew, Hamza Shehbaz, drove him to jail, while his daughter and PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz - who  has recently made party's vice president - also accompanied him.

The PML-N supremo had intention to reach the prison before midnight as the party leaders had mentioned, but his motorcade faced traffic jam caused by the supporters. He eventually reached the jail around 12:30am.

 Maryam Nawaz,  who was leading the "solidarity march" from the Sharif's residence in Jati Umra to the Kot Lakhpat Jail, was expected to address the rally but she did not speak.

A large number of party leaders and workers  gathered at various points across the city to  join the rally.

Earlier in a video message, shared by Maryam  Nawazon on Twitter, Nawaz said: "I am thankful to my workers… I thank Zinda dilan-e-Lahore who accompanied me." 

"The dark night of injustice will end,” the former rime minister added. 

 In his message to the workers,  Sharif  said: "I know they understand why I am being punished."

A large number of PML-N workers and leaders gathered outside his Jati Umra residence and accompanied their leader to the jail.

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. 

Nawaz Sharif has been serving a seven-year prison term at Lahore's Kot Lakhpat Jail since December 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.