Tag: Nawaz Sharif

  • Bail granted to ailing ex-PM Nawaz

    Bail granted to ailing ex-PM Nawaz

    The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday granted bail on medical grounds to former prime minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif, who has been admitted to the hospital ever since a precarious decrease in his platelet count.

    According to reports, ailing Nawaz’s bail in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills case came after the prosecution and defence concluded their arguments and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) did not challenge the plea.

    A two-member bench, headed by Justice Baqar Najafi, had heard the petition. The anti-corruption watchdog’s prosecutor told the court that “every life, including that of Nawaz Sharif, is precious”, adding that the former premier’s condition was treatable.

    After a struggle of three days, a six-member medical board, headed by Services Hospital Principal Ayaz Mahmood, had on Thursday diagnosed the reason for Nawaz’s declining health.

    “It is acute immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), a bleeding disorder, in which the immune system destroys platelets,” a board member had told Dawn. “We are hopeful that his condition will improve in a few days.”

    Doctors have said that the disease is treatable.

    On Friday, Dr Ayaz submitted a detailed medical report of the former premier. He told the court that a medical board, which also includes Nawaz’s personal physician, meets twice every day to discuss the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo’s condition.

    Earlier in the day, Nawaz’s lawyer Ashtar Ausaf told the court that the former premier’s condition was “extremely serious”.

    Dr Ayaz told the court that Nawaz’s platelet count was constantly reducing, adding that the hospital had conducted tests to see if Nawaz was suffering from dengue.

    “We inject platelets every day but they destruct every day,” Dr Ayaz said and added that something or the other was destroying the ex-PM’s platelets.

    He said that steroids will have to be injected in order to treat Nawaz.

    “We have to conduct a bone marrow test but we cannot inject a needle in Nawaz Sharif’s bone.”

    Dr Ayaz informed the court that Nawaz is a diabetes patient and is suffering from several other ailments as well.

    The bench told the doctor to apprise the court about Nawaz’s recent condition by 12 pm and adjourned the hearing until later in the day.

    An accountability court had earlier this month granted NAB a 14-day physical remand of Nawaz in connection with the Chaudhry Sugar Mills case. The remand expired today.

  • NAB officials step up to donate blood to ailing Nawaz

    NAB officials step up to donate blood to ailing Nawaz

    At least five officials of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) have stepped up to donate blood to ailing Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif, ARY News reported.

    According to reports, the blood group of the former prime minister (PM) is O+ve and Lahore’s Services Hospital — where Nawaz is admitted — has already cross-matched it with that of the five NAB officials.

    The jailed ex-PM was shifted to the hospital after a precarious drop in his platelet count on Monday night, requiring an emergency response.

    Punjab Health Minister Yasmin Rashid has said that a six-member medical board comprising senior doctors is examining Nawaz and trying to figure out the cause behind his deteriorating health.

    A VVIP room of Services Hospital has been declared as sub-jail for the former premier, while PM Imran has wished him good health and ordered the provincial government to ensure best treatment facilities.

  • ‘Am I the doctor?’ asks Imran Khan after hearing about Nawaz Sharif’s failing health

    Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s conditioned worsened as his platelet count fluctuated and his daughter Maryam Nawaz, who was earlier denied permission to meet him, was allowed to do so. After her meeting with her father, she was admitted in the same hospital but family sources are now saying that the government wants to take Maryam back to the hospital “at any cost”.

    Earlier, on Wednesday, a judge had denied Maryam’s request to meet her father but the government gave her permission last night.

    VIDEO: Maryam Nawaz reaches the hospital last night

    Senior leadership, including Nawaz’s brother, Shehbaz Sharif, also went to visit Nawaz at Services Hospital in Lahore.

    Sources say that Nawaz says that he wants to die in jail and that people have died in jail before. According to journalist Zahid Gishkori, doctors have said that Nawaz should get treatment abroad but the former PM is refusing to go out of the country. Reporters are also stating that a doctor has been flown in from Karachi to conduct further tests.

    Journalist and senior anchor, Meher Bokhari tweeted about PM Khan’s reaction to the news, saying that the Prime Minister asked how he could be blamed for Nawaz’s health. She said that when she asked him about it, he “threw his arms up with a bewildered look on his face,” and said, “Am I the doctor? Am I the court? How am I being blamed for this?” and then called “Buzdar to arrange for Maryam to see NS”.

    As #NawazneedsUNhelp starts trending on Twitter last night, people have also started Whatsapp groups to pray for Nawaz’s health and others are asking for international help, claiming that Nawaz has been poisoned.

  • PM Imran prays for Nawaz’s health, seeks update, orders best medical facilities

    PM Imran prays for Nawaz’s health, seeks update, orders best medical facilities

    Expressing good wishes for his recovery, Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has sought from the Punjab government a report on the health of jailed ex-PM Nawaz Sharif, who was admitted to Lahore’s Services Hospital on Monday night.

    In a tweet, Special Assistant to PM on Broadcasting and Information Firdous Ashiq Awan said that the premier has directed the officials concerned to provide treatment to Nawaz as per his family’s wishes.

    The health of convicted former PM started improving after initial medical treatment at the Services Hospital.

    He was admitted to the hospital on Monday night after his platelet count dropped to a precariously low level, requiring an emergency response.

    “The physicians have injected three mega units of platelets to Nawaz Sharif, which gradually hiked the cell count to 18,000,” reports quoted a member of the special medical board — constituted for the ex-PM’s treatment — as saying.

  • Video: Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan says Nawaz Sharif not unwell, only ‘acting’

    Video: Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan says Nawaz Sharif not unwell, only ‘acting’

    Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan has come under fire for her remarks regarding former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s health. Talking to a news channel, she said that Mian Nawaz Sharif is getting ready for a film shoot and all this was part of the plan.

    Mian Nawaz Sharif was taken to the hospital Monday night. His platelets count had fallen drastically but his dengue results have come out negative. His condition is now stable, as per senior PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal.

    Dr Fridous Ashiq Awan’s comments about Mr Sharif’s health were criticised widely and termed insensitive and callous by PML-N leaders and others on social media.

    This is not the first time Dr Awan has made flippant remarks. Last month when Azad Kashmir was jolted by earthquake, she said that the earth has taken a turn as it cannot deal with ‘tabdeeli’.

    Watch the video for Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan’s comments about Mian Nawaz Sharif’s health.

    Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan’s remarks on Nawaz Sharif’s health

  • Watch: PTI’s Usman Dar copies Maryam Nawaz’s old speech, praises PM Imran

    Special Adviser to the Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan, Usman Dar has copied Maryam Nawaz’s old speech in his address during Pakistan Tehreeke Insaf’s (PTI) “Kamyab Jawan Program” launch.

    Usman Dar was praising PM Imran for launching this program to provide loans to the students and he copied the exact same words, Maryam Nawaz had used for praising former PM Nawaz Sharif after winning elections.

    Maryam in her speech had said, “During elections campaign, your PM Nawaz Sharif had made some promises, and despite having a severe economic crisis, your PM has fulfilled this promise”.

    While Usman during his address said, “During elections, PTI had promised that they would make the youth of Pakistan independent, and despite having severe economic crisis your PM has fulfilled this promise in the shape of Kamyab Jawan Program”.

    Journalist Arshad Sharif during his talk show played both speeches from Usman and Maryam, side by side and asked from the special adviser whether he and Maryam have the same speechwriter.

    Replying to this question Usman replied, “You wrote this speech, If he knew Arshad Sharif had written Maryam’s speech also, he wouldn’t have asked him to write his speech”.

    Making a comeback to Usman’s answer Arshad said, “No, I am not such a cheap speechwriter”.

    Watch Video:

  • Warned Nawaz against fighting establishment, but he didn’t listen: Shehbaz

    Warned Nawaz against fighting establishment, but he didn’t listen: Shehbaz

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Shehbaz Sharif has criticised his elder brother and jailed former prime minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif “for picking fights with the establishment and not paying heed to his advice”, SamaaTV reported.

    Reports quoted Shehbaz as saying at a party meeting on Thursday that he had told Nawaz during his last stint “to stop fighting with the establishment and serve the people”.

    “[I] advised him [Nawaz] to not remove General (r) Jahangir Karamat and General (r) Pervez Musharraf as army chiefs, but my brother didn’t listen.”

    “Tayyip Erdogan had served his country for 15 years, that’s why people came out in his support [and foiled the coup]”, he said, adding that if the PML-N government had completed another two or three terms, people would have come out in their support as well.

    “We suffered major losses at a crucial time because my brother didn’t listen to me,” Shehbaz said further.

    “I also advised him against joining the Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl’s (JUI-F) Azadi March later this month. We cannot fight and always end up hurting ourselves.”

    SHARIF BROTHERS DIVIDED:

    However, Nawaz while speaking to reporters during his hearing at an accountability court in Lahore on Friday said that he fully supported the forthcoming JUI-F rally against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government.

    “Our viewpoint is the same as that of Maulana [Fazlur Rehman],” the former premier said.

    He recalled that Rehman had called for resignations and protest after the 2018 general elections and added, “But [now] I feel that his argument was solid.”

    “Not paying heed to Maulana’s call for the march would be a mistake,” he said.

    “I have already written a letter to Shehbaz in this regard, detailing the future course of action of the party and the PML-N president would brief the media soon.”

  • Nawaz’s assets jumped from Rs2.7 million to Rs1.8 billion in 20 years of politics: report

    Nawaz’s assets jumped from Rs2.7 million to Rs1.8 billion in 20 years of politics: report

    Ousted prime minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif’s assets jumped from Rs2.7 million to Rs1.82 billion in twenty years of his political career from 1993 to 2013, media reports have revealed.

    As per the details, Nawaz owned assets worth Rs 261.6 million in 2012, but that saw a six-fold increase and reached Rs 1.82 billion in 2013 — the first year of his third stint as the country’s chief executive, making him a declared billionaire for the first time.

    His assets in 2014 crossed the Rs2 billion-mark, but in 2015 declined slightly to Rs1.96 billion. Earlier in 2011, he owned assets worth Rs166m.

    According to the statements of assets of lawmakers, released by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in 2017, the value of his assets further declined to Rs1.72 billion in the year that ended on June 30, 2016.

    The former premier, however, only owned assets worth Rs2.7 million by the year 1993, media reports said.

    Citing the details submitted to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) in the assets beyond known sources of income and money laundering cases against the Sharif family, a private media outlet claimed that Nawaz’s total assets in 1986 stood at a bit over Rs0.13 million.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    The assets kept on increasing over the years, the report said, adding that Nawaz’s assets rose by only Rs23,319 in 1986. “According to FBR records, the same swelled by Rs98,588 in 1987.”

    These assets also included those owned by his children, the report claimed.

  • Nawaz would’ve made PM again if he hadn’t listened to people around him: Brig (r) Ijaz Shah

    Nawaz would’ve made PM again if he hadn’t listened to people around him: Brig (r) Ijaz Shah

    Federal Minister for Interior Brigadier (r) Ijaz Ahmed Shah has said that former prime minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif would have been elected as the country’s chief executive for the fourth time had he “not listened to the three or four people around him”.

    In an interview to a private news channel, the minister said that “these people included two or three MNAs and a few senators”, adding that “he won’t take names”.

    He also said that these people were still there around Nawaz and won’t let any person of the Sharif family stay out of jail.

    When asked if they included disgruntled Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Chaudhary Nisar, Ijaz replied, “If Nawaz had listened to Nisar, everything would have been fine.”

    WATCH VIDEO:

    The former premier is currently imprisoned at Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat Jail after an accountability court handed him a seven-year jail term in the Al-Azizia Steel Mills corruption case.

    Nawaz has been serving the jail term since December 24, 2018.

  • £17 million: British firm sues govt, NAB over failure to pay for tracking Nawaz’s properties

    £17 million: British firm sues govt, NAB over failure to pay for tracking Nawaz’s properties

    A British asset recovery firm has launched a high court case against Pakistan and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for allegedly failing to pay a multimillion-pound bill for tracking down properties once owned by ex-prime minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif.

    According to The Guardian, Broadsheet has launched an unusual claim for about £17 million and also plans to apply to take possession of Avenfield Apartments and four luxury flats in Park Lane, which were the homes of Nawaz’s family in London.

    The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo was jailed for seven years in December 2018 on corruption charges.

    The London apartments, in a block next to Hyde Park on the edge of Mayfair, were used to raise a £7 million mortgage and would probably be worth more than £8 million today.

    The corruption case against Nawaz highlighted the ease with which London’s property market could be used to move money from abroad.

    Stuart Newberger, a senior partner at the Washington-based law firm Crowell and Moring, which represents Broadsheet, said the high court had previously ruled in a private hearing that Pakistan owed his client about $22 million for helping locate and repatriate the corrupt assets of Sharif.

    “Pakistan has refused to comply with this final non-appealable court decision, thus requiring Broadsheet to enforce this order by seizing Pakistan’s assets,” he said.

    Documents before the high court state Sir Anthony Evans QC ruled in December the Pakistani government and the NAB owed Broadsheet $21.5 million.

    Evans also upheld Broadsheet’s reading of the asset recovery agreement as entitling it to 20 per cent of any assets recovered from the targets, regardless of whether the assets were located in Pakistan or abroad.

    The Pakistan high commission did not respond to repeated requests for comment.

    NAB & BROADSHEET:

    Broadsheet, registered in the Isle of Man, entered into the agreement with the NAB in 2000, in which it agreed to help track down the assets of Nawaz and over 200 other politicians, officials and their families.

    The work was done at the firm’s expense in return for 20 per cent of any sums recovered from the designated targets.

    The NAB, however, terminated the agreement in 2003 but Broadsheet’s owner, the Iranian-born Oxford academic Kaveh Moussavi, said he later learned that NAB had secretly entered into settlements with Nawaz and other targets.

    The company said the agreement entitled it to a commission on any settlement with the targets, even if Broadsheet was not involved in procuring them.

    After seven years of exile in Saudi Arabia, Nawaz returned to Pakistan during the arbitration and was elected for a third term as prime minister in 2013.

    The Supreme Court of Pakistan subsequently disqualified him from public office in July 2017 after incriminating information on Nawaz, first brought to light by the Panama Papers, the huge leak of data from law firm Mossack Fonseca in 2015 that shed light on the ownership of thousands of companies in secretive tax havens.

    The leaks linked Nawaz’s children to the purchase of London properties through offshore companies in the British Virgin Islands in the mid-1990s. At that time the children were minors, and the purchases were assumed to have been made by Sharif.

    Pakistani authorities accused Nawaz of using a complex series of transactions and shell companies to funnel the proceeds of public funds embezzled at home into assets abroad.

    The top court ruled in April last year that his disqualification should be for life. Nawaz still faces multiple criminal proceedings.

    In July 2018 an accountability court convicted him, his daughter Maryam and son-in-law Safdar Awan of corruption relating to the acquisition of flats at Avenfield. Nawaz and Maryam were arrested on 13 July after landing in Lahore. Maryam’s sentence was suspended by a court in Islamabad. They deny any wrongdoing.

    Investigations into Nawaz were part of a campaign against corruption promised by Prime Minister Imran Khan, who came into power in July last year.

    The article originally appeared on The Guardian