Tag: Nawaz Sharif

  • Deal struck, Nawaz to get bail on Sept 18, leave country: analyst

    Deal struck, Nawaz to get bail on Sept 18, leave country: analyst

    With the Islamabad High Court (IHC) set to hear former prime minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif’s appeal against his conviction, an analyst has claimed that “a deal has been struck” and the former “will soon be leaving the country”.

    Earlier this week, IHC constituted a two-member bench to hear the appeal filed by Nawaz against his conviction in the Al-Azizia reference. The bench, comprising Justice Aamir Farooq and Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, will hear the appeal on September 18.

    This will be the first hearing of Nawaz’s appeal since the controversy regarding the leaked video of accountability court judge Arshad Malik surfaced in July.

    The video, purportedly showing the judge “confessing” that he had convicted Nawaz under duress, was made public by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President (VP) Maryam Nawaz.

    Malik had in December 2018 sentenced the former premier to seven years imprisonment in Al-Azizia reference. After the removal of the judge over the controversy, IHC had ordered to attach Malik’s affidavit with Nawaz’s plea against his sentence.

    Amid rumours that a deal was being struck between the government and jailed Nawaz, analyst and former Balochistan government adviser Jan Achakzai has claimed that the former PM and his daughter will soon be leaving the country.

    “Deal is done as earlier I claimed. Nawaz Sharif will be flying out of the country after bail. Maryam Nawaz will likely join him. Big hurdle in front of stressed govt is almost over. Expect Interesting political roller coaster and fireworks after November [sic],” he tweeted.

  • Nawaz Sharif advised to leave country with Maryam: report

    Nawaz Sharif advised to leave country with Maryam: report

    Former Prime Minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif has been advised to leave the country with his daughter Maryam Nawaz and to return at the right time, Dawn reported Friday.

    According to reports, a property tycoon recently called on the jailed ex-premier and told him it was “in the best interests of everyone that he and his daughter left the country for now”.

    The report also claimed that the said property tycoon was “the same gentleman who had earlier conveyed the message of an important person to Nawaz to step down as the premier”.

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Shehbaz Sharif also visited his elder brother on Thursday at the Kot Lakhpat Jail and their meeting has further fuelled rumours about the possibility of a deal that could lead to the Sharif family moving abroad for a few years.

    However, it is also said that Nawaz is not ready to leave the country.

    Meanwhile, PML-N Information Secretary Marriyum Aurangzeb has trashed reports and denied the claim that Nawaz met any property tycoon in jail.

    “Mian Sahib had returned to Pakistan along with his daughter Maryam Nawaz clearly knowing that he was going to jail in the Al-Azizia Mills case, leaving behind his beloved wife on death bed for the rule of law,” reports quoted Marriyum as saying.

  • ‘Nawaz, Zardari ready for plea bargain if Imran quits politics’

    ‘Nawaz, Zardari ready for plea bargain if Imran quits politics’

    Former jailed prime minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif and ex-president Asif Ali Zardari are ready to strike a deal for their release on the condition that PM Imran Khan leaves politics, senior journalist Dr Moeed Pirzada has said.

    Sharing a “theory doing rounds in political quarters”, while hosting “Hard Talk Pakistan” television programme on a private media outlet Monday night, the journalist said that the two incarcerated leaders were ready to pay even more than $10 billion, but do not want to plead guilty.

    “They are seeking plea bargains and might pay up to $20 billion, but are not ready to confess. They’re ready to leave the country but want a future for their children in politics,” he said.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    Rumours are rife for the past few days as several journalists claim an underhand deal allegedly being negotiated between political leaders jailed over corruption charges and the PM Imran-led government.

    No official statements have made headlines as of yet.

  • PM Imran’s US trip cost taxpayers Rs11 million

    PM Imran’s US trip cost taxpayers Rs11 million

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s visit to the United States (US) has cost the national treasury around Rs11 million ($67,180), it was revealed Thursday.

    According to the breakdown of expenses released by the government, Rs1.35 million were spent on accommodation for PM’s 27-member delegation, while the PM chose to stay at Pakistan Embassy.

    An amount of Rs92,120 were incurred on transport, Rs142,000 on gifts, Rs6,075,800 on airfare, miscellaneous expenditures stood at Rs1,287,460, tips at Rs706,001 and meals at Rs1,389,077.

    There was no TA/DA for any official and the ministers accompanying PM Imran.

    WAY LESS THAN NAWAZ, ZARDARI’S EXPENSES:

    The premier set an example of simplicity and austerity by saving millions of rupees of the national exchequer as he spent much less than the visits of former PM Nawaz Sharif and former president Asif Ali Zardari.

    His spendings were 11 times less than Zardari and eight times less than Nawaz, who spent $752,688 and $549,853 on their visits to the US, respectively.

    Earlier, PM Imran travelled to the US on a commercial flight instead of a special aircraft. He stayed at the residence of Pakistan’s ambassador in Washington DC instead of a 7-star hotel, while he bore his family’s expenditure himself.

    His visit was termed a success owing to the mammoth crowd he pulled at Washington’s Capital One Arena and his meeting with President Donald Trump wherein the two leaders forged good chemistry.

  • Meat-lover Nawaz unhappy with ‘tasteless’ vegetarian meals in jail: report

    Meat-lover Nawaz unhappy with ‘tasteless’ vegetarian meals in jail: report

    Former prime minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif, who is rather infamous for his high-protein diet and love for meaty festivities, is reportedly unhappy with the vegetarian food being served to him in jail.

    According to a private media outlet, the ex-premier has complained about the “tasteless” vegetarian meals to his personal doctor, who believes the environment is not fit for ailing Nawaz.

    “The jail food can further deteriorate his health,” the former PM’s doctor was quoted as saying.

    Earlier this month, the Punjab government had discontinued provision of home-cooked food for the ousted premier – currently incarcerated in Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat jail.

    Reacting to the move, Nawaz’s brother and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Shehbaz Sharif had said that the ex-PM is a heart patient and needs homemade food to control his health.

    PML-N vice president Maryam Nawaz has also, time and again, stressed the need for her father to be provided with home-cooked meals for the sake of his health.

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan, on the other hand, has vowed to ensure the “criminal” doesn’t even enjoy air-conditioning and television facilities in his jail cell.

    “Nawaz Sharif wants food from home in jail, he wants air-conditioning in jail. But in a country where half the population has no air-conditioning or TV, what kind of punishment would this be?” the premier was recently quoted as questioning.

    Action is reportedly being taken in this regard too.

  • Govt asks IG prisons to remove jailed Nawaz’s air-conditioner

    Govt asks IG prisons to remove jailed Nawaz’s air-conditioner

    The Punjab government has asked inspector general (IG) of prisons to remove the air-conditioner installed in ex-prime minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif’s cell at Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat jail.

    “The following directions of PM [Imran Khan] have been intimated for implementation and report ‘No Preferential Treatment be Given to the Criminals and Money Launders in the Prison in Punjab’,” The Express Tribune quoted a July 17 letter, written by Punjab Home Department to the IG prisons, as saying.

    The letter asks the IG to take necessary action in the matter immediately and submit a report in three days.

    PM Imran, in his address to Pakistani-American community in Washington last Sunday, had announced to withdraw air-conditioning and television facilities provided to jailed former PM Nawaz as well as ex-president Asif Ali Zardari.

    However, the letter being dated July 17 suggests that the authorities had been ordered to take away the facilities long before the premier’s announcement.

    Meanwhile, according to the ex-PM’s daughter, Maryam Nawaz, doctors have advised that her father’s room temperature be maintained at a comfortable level to prevent dehydration and the possible deterioration of his renal function.

    The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader has also said that withdrawing the air-conditioning facility would be equivalent to putting Nawaz’s life in danger.

  • ‘Storm Adiala’: Facebook event on July 21 to ‘rescue jailed Nawaz’

    ‘Storm Adiala’: Facebook event on July 21 to ‘rescue jailed Nawaz’

    With hundreds of thousands of people signing up for the event titled ‘Storm Area 51, They Can’t Stop All of Us’, a local version of the plan, ‘Storm Adiala to Save Nawaz’, has been created on Facebook.

    Over 600,000 people have signed up to the Area 51 event that invites attendees to gather before entering the air force base obsessing alien conspiracy theorists for long.

    The Pakistani version of the event, on the other hand, calls on the participants to raid the Rawalpindi Central Jail aka Adiala Jail to save former prime minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif.

    It is highly unlikely that the event is not a joke since the ex-PM, convicted in corruption references, is not even locked up there. He was transferred to Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat Jail after a court, last year, accepted his application to be incarcerated in Punjab’s provincial capital instead of Rawalpindi.

    The satirical event, however, has received over 943 signatures, including that of social media influencer and comedian Junaid Akram. Over 1,500 have also marked themselves as interested in attending the event.

    It is scheduled for July 21 (Sunday) at 6 pm, whereas the person behind the event is not yet known.

  • ‘Judge who convicted Nawaz to be removed from post’

    ‘Judge who convicted Nawaz to be removed from post’

    The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has decided to sack Accountability Court Judge Arshad Malik, who convicted former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in the Al-Azizia corruption reference, a private media outlet reported Friday. 

    Earlier, the judge had written a letter to the IHC, refuting Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Maryam Nawaz’s allegations and the leaked tapes that purportedly showed him admitting to sentencing Nawaz after being blackmailed.

    PML-N leadership last Saturday had released the tapes that allegedly showed Malik confessing in front of a party worker named Nasir Butt.

    In the tapes, the judge was heard claiming he was coerced to hand down the prison sentence against the former PM despite there being no proof of corruption against him.

    In a subsequent press release, Malik had denied the contents of the video and termed them as edited, fabricated and aimed to defame him. He, however, had admitted knowing the PML-N worker and his brother.

    Meanwhile, PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb has demanded that Nawaz’s sentence be nullified and the former premier be immediately released.

  • Govt withdraws food-from-home facility for jailed Nawaz

    Govt withdraws food-from-home facility for jailed Nawaz

    The Punjab government has decided to withdraw food-from-home facility for former prime minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif, who is currently serving a seven-year sentence at Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat Jail.

    According to media reports, the jail administration, anytime this week, would order the withdrawal of the facility that Nawaz has been availing since his days in Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail.

    After the withdrawal of the facility, the former premier would have to be content with the jail food — which according to Nawaz’s family, is “unfit to consume” considering his deteriorating health.

    A three-member bench of the Supreme Court (SC) headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Asif Saeed Khosa had last month rejected a petition by the ex-PM for an extension in the bail granted to him on medical grounds in the Al-Azizia reference.

    It was followed by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) also rejecting his bail plea. Nawaz had been granted bail on medical grounds by the apex court on March 26 for six weeks.

    On April 25, he had submitted a review petition in the SC seeking a permanent bail. His bail expired on May 7.

  • ‘Qatari emir brokering deal for Nawaz, Maryam to leave Pakistan’

    ‘Qatari emir brokering deal for Nawaz, Maryam to leave Pakistan’

    Senior journalist and analyst Arif Nizami has said that Qatar
    is reportedly brokering a deal between the government and former prime minister
    (PM) Nawaz Sharif to secure the latter’s release.

    Speaking to a private media outlet, Nizami said that Qatar was
    an old friend of Pakistan and previously involved in securing Nawaz’s release
    when former military dictator General (r) Pervez Musharraf had arrested him after
    the 1999 coup.

    “When Musharraf came into power and detained Nawaz, the emir
    of Qatar was the first person to initiate the process for his release,” he said.

    Nizami added that up to 90 per cent of the deal had been processed to let the former PM and his daughter Maryam live in London, while sources had informed him that the “recent visit of the emir of Qatar was also linked to this task”.

    Qatar Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani had arrived in
    Pakistan earlier this week and announced $3 billion worth of new investments in
    the country. He had also announced that Qatar may invest another $12 billion
    later on.

    “Sources have claimed that Nawaz’s health is not stable and
    according to his daughter Maryam, he has already suffered a stroke thrice,”
    Nizami said further.

    He claimed that under the deal, Nawaz will be allowed to pay the fine to secure his release so that he and his daughter can go and live in England. “Shehbaz and Hamza will stay here to run the party affairs and face cases leveled against them,” Nizami added.