Nawaz Sharif booked for sedition

LAHORE/ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and the top leadership of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) was named in the first information report (FIR) on Monday for delivering provocative speeches from London “to defame Pakistan’s institutions”.

The Shahdara police registered the FIR under the sedition laws against Nawaz Sharif on the complaint of a citizen, Badar Rasheed, son of Rasheed Khan, a resident of Mohallah Khurshid Park, Shahdara, under sections 120, 120B, 121, 121A, 123A, 124, 124A, 153, 153A and 505 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and Section 10 of Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act 2016.

The complainant claimed that Nawaz Sharif hatched a criminal conspiracy by delivering speeches from London on the electronic and social media on Sept 20, 2020 during the All Parties Conference (APC), and PML-N’s central working committee (CWC) and central executive committee meetings on Oct 1, 2020. The complainant alleged that the former prime minister, in his speeches, supported the policies of India, and claimed that Nawaz wanted to give an impression that Pakistan would be listed in the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) black list in its upcoming meeting. The citizen, in the FIR, claimed that Nawaz, in his speeches, wanted to divert the attention of people across the world from Indian forces’ atrocities in the Occupied Jammu and Kashmir and India’s occupation of the territory. “Nawaz Sharif’s speech was aimed to indirectly benefit his friend Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” stated the FIR. It also alleged that the former prime minister’s speeches defamed Pakistan’s high courts and armed forces in front of the international community. The complainant further stated that the court had allowed Nawaz Sharif to go abroad for treatment on humanitarian grounds under special conditions, but he started maligning Pakistani institutions under a planned criminal conspiracy.

Besides Nawaz Sharif, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider Khan and three retired generals are among 40 PML-N leaders nominated in the FIR. Those booked under the above mentioned sections include: Raja Zafarul Haq, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Khurram Dastgir, Senator Lt Gen (retd) Abdul Qayyum, Senator Lt Gen (retd) Salahuddin Tirmizi, Lt Gen (retd) Abdul Qadir Baloch, Maryam Nawaz, Saleem Zia, Iqbal Zafar Jhagra, Ahsan Iqbal, Sheikh Aftab Ahmed, Pervaiz Rashid, Khawaja Asif, Rana Sanaullah, Begum Najma Hameed, Begum Zakia Shahnawaz, Tariq Razzaq Chaudhry, Sardar Yaqoob Nisar, Nawabzada Changez, Miftah Ismail, Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, Muhammad Zubair, Shiza Fatima Khawaja, Murtaza Javed Abbasi, Mehtab Ahmed Khan, Mian Javed Latif, Marriyum Aurangzeb, Attaullah Tarar, Chaudhry Birjees Tahir, Chaudhry Muhammad Jaffer Iqbal, Azma Bukhari, Shaista Pervez Malik, Saira Afzal Tarar, Begum Ishrat Ashraf, Waheed Alam, Raheela Durrani, Danial Aziz, etc. Those included in the FIR for being part of the meetings through video link included Raja Farooq Haider Khan, Khawaja Saad Rafique, Amir Muqam, Irfan Siddiqui, etc.

Meanwhile, the Executive Board of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) approved a review of the inquiry against the JUI-F Ameer and president of 11-parties opposition alliance Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) Maulana Fazlur Rehman in a case pertaining to assets allegedly beyond known sources of income. It also approved inquiries against the son-in-law of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, Captain (retd) Muhammad Safdar and President PML-N KP Amir Muqam and Sher Azam Wazir for allegedly making assets beyond known sources of income.

The meeting of the Executive Board was chaired by NAB Chairman Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal. It also reviewed the progress in the ongoing inquiries in the Billion Tree Tsunami case besides latest progress in investigations against Nawabzada Mehmood Zaib, Usman Saifullah and others. The NAB decided to obtain a certified copy of the Malam Jabba case and in the light of the certified copy of the verdict of Peshawar High Court, further course of action will be decided as per law. It also authorised an investigation of illegal appointments of officers/officials of Bank of Khyber, Peshawar, and others which were allegedly made contrary to rules. The board decided to conduct the ongoing inquiries and investigations independently, transparently on merit on the basis of concrete evidence after getting point of view of the accused, so that all requirements of justice could be fulfilled and no inquiry and investigation will be completed unheard.

Speaking at the meeting, Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal said the NAB is committed to eradicate corruption by putting in serious efforts to make a corruption-free Pakistan. He said all resources are being utilised to take mega corruption cases to logical conclusion on priority.

Meanwhile, former president Asif Ali Zardari was indicted by an accountability court in the Thatta Water Supply and Park Lane references. The PPP leader and others nominated in the references appeared before the court in the hearing presided over by Justice Azam Khan.

During the hearing, the former president was presented with a charge sheet for the Thatta Water Supply and Park Lane references, while the other suspects were provided a copy of their indictments. A total of 19 persons were indicted in the Park Lane reference while 15 were indicted in the Thatta Water Supply reference. Zardari pleaded not guilty to the charges as the court directed the NAB to present witnesses in the Park Lane reference by October 20 and in the Thatta Water Supply reference by October 21. The court had also indicted Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur on September 28 in the mega money laundering reference.

Speaking outside the accountability court with reporters, Zardari was asked to comment on Khawaja Asif’s remarks about him. “Khawaja Asif must have given the statement on somebody’s instructions,” he said. “The intent was to divide the opposition.” Talking about the accountability cases filed against him, Zardari said that he had previously suffered under the same circumstances when cases were filed against him. “When we are in opposition, such cases are filed against us,” he said. “We have been going through these cases (in the past as well).” When asked about the ban on the speeches of former Nawaz Sharif on electronic media, Zardari said such things are no longer practical as now the people have mobiles in their hand in the shape of TV.

Through a tweet, Bilawal came harsh on the government for continuous appearances of Asif Ali Zardari in accountability court, and said the regime’s response to the PPP’s All Parties Conference and Pakistan Democratic Movement has come in the shape of increase in frequency of Asif Ali Zardari’s appearance in courts.