Pak court acquits former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in 37-year-old 'bribe' case
Lahore, Jun 25: A Pakistani accountability court has acquitted former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in a 37-year-old case alleging that he transferred a "precious state land" here in the capital of Punjab province to one of the country's leading media barons as a "bribe".
Saturday's ruling came days after the federal government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the younger brother of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif, made crucial amendments to laws to lift the life-long ban on politicians.
The 73-year-old three-time former prime minister's acquittal may allow him to contest and lead PML-N in the next general election scheduled later this year.
Nawaz Sharif was disqualified in 2017 by the Supreme Court. In 2018, he became ineligible to hold public office for life after a Supreme Court verdict in the Panama Papers case.
"An Accountability Court in Lahore acquitted three-time premier Nawaz Sharif in a case related to illegal transfer of 54-kanal (6.75 acres) precious state land to Jang/Geo media group owner Mir Shakil-ur-Rehman in Lahore while he was the chief minister of Punjab 37 years ago," a court official told PTI.
"Judge Rao Abdul Jabbar acquitted him after the country's anti-graft body (National Accountability Bureau) informed the court that after recent amendments to its law (by the Shehbaz Sharif-led coalition government), the case does not fall in its preview," the official said.
The former prime minister's lawyer contended that NAB had malicious intentions while filing the case against his client, who had no involvement in plot allotment.
The court has already acquitted Shakil-ur-Rehman in this case.
He said the acquittal of the principal accused proved that no offence was committed.
Therefore, he argued that keeping the proceedings pending against any other accused, including a proclaimed offender, after the acquittal of the prime accused was of no use.
The judge admitted the arguments of the counsel and acquitted Nawaz Sharif in the case.
NAB's earlier charge sheet accused Nawaz Sharif, who was also the chairman of Lahore Development (LDA) in 1986, of misusing his authority and rendering undue benefit to Rehman by approving the exemption of 54 precious plots measuring one kanal each in a single block (compact form) situated at canal bank H- Block of M A Jauhar Town, Lahore.
NAB alleged the accused caused a loss of Rs 143 million to the national exchequer through the allotment of the land.
Nawaz Sharif, the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supreme leader, has been living in self-exile in the United Kingdom since November 2019.
Before his departure to London on a four-wheel bail by the Lahore High Court on medical grounds, Sharif was serving a seven-year jail term in the Al-Azizia Mills corruption case.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief and ousted prime minister Imran Khan alleged that former army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa had manoeuvred Sharif's ouster from jail and later struck a deal with him.
The PML-N says its supreme leader will return to Pakistan once the date of the general elections is announced.
Elections in the country are due in October as the tenure of the incumbent government ends on August 13.
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Delhi Police apprehends 966 people in southeast Delhi ahead of New Year under Operation Aaghat 3.0
New Delhi (PTI): The Delhi Police has apprehended 966 people and seized arms, drugs, illegal liquor and vehicles during a large-scale preventive crackdown in southeast Delhi ahead of New Year celebrations, an official said on Saturday.
The operation, namely Operation Aaghat 3.0, was launched to curb organised crime, street offences and the activities of habitual criminals in view of heightened public movement during year-end festivities, they said.
Of the total, 331 accused were arrested under the Delhi Excise Act, NDPS Act and the Public Gambling Act, while 504 people were apprehended under various preventive provisions, the police said.
As part of targeted action, police apprehended 116 listed bad characters, arrested five auto-lifters and four proclaimed offenders, officials added.
During the operation, police recovered 21 country-made pistols, 20 live cartridges and 27 knives under the Arms Act. They also seized 12,258 quarters of illicit liquor, 6.01 kg of ganja and Rs 2.36 lakh from gamblers.
A total of 310 mobile phones, six two-wheelers and one four-wheeler were also recovered, the police said.
In addition, action was taken against 1,306 persons under the Delhi Police Act, while 231 two-wheelers were seized for violations, the officials said.
The crackdown was carried out with over 600 police personnel deployed across the district.
The police said the operation was aimed at preventing any untoward incident during New Year celebrations, particularly in residential areas and jhuggi clusters, and to deter organised crime networks and habitual offenders.
Officials said stringent legal provisions, including sections 111 and 112 of the BNS, would be invoked in suitable cases, and proposals for externment of repeat offenders were also being initiated.
The police added that intensified patrolling, vehicle checking and night surveillance had led to a reduction in PCR calls related to street crime in the district over the past month.
