Maryam, husband to challenge verdict; Sharif lands in 'B' class jail
Islamabad, July 14 : Ex-Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's daughter Maryam and her husband have decided to appeal against the July 6 verdict by an accountability court. The two along with Sharif were convicted and sentenced in absentia to lengthy prison terms in connection with their ownership of properties in London.
The appeal, that will be filed on July 16, was drafted on Saturday. Maryam Nawaz's legal team was still in Adiala Jail to get the power of attorney but was unable to file the appeal before the court hours ended. Court hours last till 1 p.m. during summer vacations.
The appeal -- that highlights the legal flaws in the Avenfield judgement -- asks for the accountability court's verdict to be declared null and void. It further pleads for the sentence of Safdar Awan, Maryam's husband, be suspended till a decision on the appeal was reached.
Nawaz Sharif and his political heir Maryam were arrested at the Lahore airport late on Friday on corruption charges as they returned to the country in an attempt to rally their beleaguered party days before July 25 polls.
High drama surrounded the arrests as the authorities blocked roads, shut down mobile and internet service and deployed thousands of security forces to thwart supporters of the Sharifs from reaching the airport.
The police arrested at least 600 workers of Sharif's political party, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, on security-related charges in the past several days.
Officials from the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), the anti-corruption watchdog, placed the Sharifs under arrest. They were transferred to Adiala prison on the outskirts of Rawalpindi. Sharif was allotted a 'B' class category in prison.
According to sources in the know of the developments, the plan regarding Sharif and daughter's stay at jail was amended thrice after which it was decided to allot the Sharif a 'B' class jail which has facilities such as a 21-inch television, newspapers, a bed and fan.
It was also decided to keep Maryam in Adiala Jail's women's cell and not in Sihala rest house as suggested earlier.
The trial of two remaining NAB cases against the Sharifs will take place in the jail, according to a government notification.
After the court's verdict, the remaining cases pertain to the Al-Azizia Steel Mills and Hill Metal Establishment, and offshore companies, including Flagship Investment Limited.
The trial against the Sharif family had commenced on September 14, 2017.
Nawaz and his sons are accused in all three graft references whereas Maryam and Safdar were accused in the Avenfield reference only. The two brothers, based abroad, had been absconding since the proceedings began last year and were declared proclaimed offenders by the court.
Meanwhile, cabinet sub-committee held a meeting on the matter pertaining to placing Sharif and Maryam's name on the no-fly list. The committee approved the request during the meeting.
The Sharifs had maintained that the cases were manufactured by their political foes and the country's powerful military.
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Mangaluru: Young woman from West Bengal found unwell near Netravati river, Gang rape suspected
Mangaluru: A young woman from West Bengal was reportedly found in a severely ill condition by locals late Wednesday night near Ranipur, on the banks of Nethravathi river, leading to suspicions of gang rape.
The woman has been admitted to a private hospital in Derlakatte. The police have registered a case and are investigating the incident.
Reports suggest that three people including a rickshaw driver allegedly gang-raped the victim. The police have reportedly taken the rickshaw driver into custody based on the suspicion.
It has been alleged that a group of young individuals brought the young woman to a house near the banks of the Netravati river in Ranipur and committed the crime.
The young woman, native of West Bengal, who had come to Mangaluru with a friend in search of employment, and was living in Uppala, Kerala. She ventured out alone at midnight and reportedly sought help from an auto-rickshaw driver she met. It is learned that the driver, under the pretext of offering assistance, allowed her to board his vehicle, administered drugs to her, and then committed the crime along with his accomplices.
The young woman, who was severely injured, knocked on the door of a local resident's house late at night. She collapsed and fell unconscious after asking for water. The family promptly alerted the police.
Upon receiving the information, the police rushed to the spot and immediately admitted the young woman to the hospital. Police Commissioner Anupam Agarwal later visited the scene.
