PPP jiyalas and government supporters often accuse judiciary of one sided approach against PPP chairman Asif Ali Zardari’s corruption cases. In fact it is the duty of the government to pursue investigations and cases against Sharifs or any other criminal who has misappropriated public money…
It’s a typical case of one crook trying to protect the other..!!!
Govt, not judiciary, keeping cap on Sharifs’ cases
By Ansar Abbasi
ISLAMABAD: Contrary to the public position taken by the PPP, the government itself is the major impediment in the reopening of all alleged corruption cases against PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif and his family.
Sources in NAB told The News that the Bureau had been prevented from pursuing the cases against the Sharifs pending before the accountability courts since 2000-01. These sources said that the chairman NAB was required to write to the accountability courts to restart hearing of the three cases of corruption filed against Nawaz Sharif and some of his other family members, which were suspended in 2001 after the Sharifs’ were sent into exile.
The NAB sources said that the suspension was not being removed as per the government’ verbal orders to keep the sword hanging over the Sharifs. A NAB spokesman, when approached, did not respond, arguing that he was out of station. He promised that he would try to talk to the chief of staff to the chairman to get the Bureau’s version but it did not happen.
Accountability Court Judge Wamik Javed was approached by a prosecutor of the NAB several months back to reopen the references but the court dismissed the petitions against the Sharif brothers and ruled that the accountability courts were not empowered to do so unless such a request was made by the chairman NAB under his own signature.
It was clearly ruled that all the references of alleged corruption against the Sharifs would be reopened as soon as the chairman NAB makes such a request but it is not being done.** Publicly, the PPP ministers and other leaders blame the judiciary for not taking up the alleged corruption cases of the Sharif brothers but the ground situation clearly reflects that behind the scenes it is the government itself which is playing such politics.
Instead of cursing their own government, the PPP ministers and leaders generally blame the judiciary for ignoring Nawaz Sharif’s cases. At times it is also argued that if the Supreme Court can take suo moto notice of different corruption cases and incidents, then why it does not pick up Sharifs’ cases. The National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) case too is often cited in these allegations. However, the fact remains that the suo moto notices are not taken of those cases which are already pending before different courts.** In Sharifs’ cases, all depends on the present regime. As for the NRO case, the court acted on various petitions challenging the infamous ordinance.
It may be recalled that three references were filed against the Sharif brothers and other family members during the rule of former president Pervez Musharraf. These references were adjourned sine die after the Sharif family was deported to Saudi Arabia.
In one corruption reference, State Vs Hudabia Paper Mills (Pvt) Ltd, nine members of the Sharif family were accused of committing an alleged corruption of Rs 642.743 million. As per the NAB allegations, the accused deposited ill-gotten money in the accounts opened in other persons’ names and used the money from these accounts to pay off loans of the Sharif companies.
Mian Muhammad Sharif, Mian Nawaz Sharif, Mian Shahbaz Sharif, Mian Abbas Sharif, Hussain Nawaz, Hamza Shahbaz Sharif, Mrs Shamim Akhtar (mother of Nawaz Sharif), Mrs Sabiha Abbas, Mrs Maryam Safdar and former federal minister Ishaq Dar were the accused in this reference.
The second corruption reference under the title of State Vs Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif etc is about the Raiwind assets. The main allegation in this reference is that the accused had acquired vast tracts of land on which a number of palatial houses and mansions were constructed with pecuniary resources, which appeared to be grossly disproportionate to their known sources of income. As per the NAB allegations, an amount of Rs 247.352 million was under question. Apart from Mian Nawaz Sharif, his mother was also an accused in this case.
In the third corruption reference under the title of State Vs Ittefaq Foundries etc, Mian Nawaz Sharif, his brother Mian Abbas Sharif and Kamal Qureshi were allegedly involved in a bank default case.
The main allegation against the accused in this case was that M/s Ittefaq Foundries Ltd obtained cash finance from the National Bank. As per NAB allegations, the company willfully defaulted to pay back the amount in 1994.
All these references were either filed or investigated in 1999-2000 by the Accountability Court in Attock at that time. The cases were later shifted to Rawalpindi after the establishment of accountability courts at Rawalpindi. These cases were adjourned sine die after the Sharif family went into exile to Saudi Arabia.
In addition to these cases, a case of bank default against the Sharifs is pending with the Lahore High Court where the Sharifs, with the agreement of the bank, had offered their mortgaged assets to be sold to repay the defaulted amount. However, it is not being done as a family dispute has erupted between the Sharifs over the property already offered for sale.
In the Supreme Court, Mian Nawaz Sharif’s name is reflected in a petition filed by retired Air Marshal Asghar Khan regarding the ISI’s role in the formation of the IJI. In his affidavit Maj General Asad Durrani had alleged that the ISI had given Rs3.5 million to Nawaz Sharif for the formation of the IJI. This is the only case which is pending with the Supreme Court but is expected to be heard in the coming few months as the National Judicial Policy promises the disposal of all previous cases.
In another case known as the helicopter reference, filed against Nawaz Sharif, he has already been acquitted by the LHC. The Accountability Court, during Musharraf’s dictatorial rule, had sentenced Nawaz Sharif to 14-year imprisonment and a fine in the helicopter reference eight years ago. The LHC Rawalpindi divisional bench of Justice Tariq Shamim and Justice Saeed Ijaz, however, declared the Accountability Court verdict null and void.The former prime minister had challenged the 14-year sentence and the fine announced by the accountability court for alleged illegal purchase of a helicopter on July 22, 2002.