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Pak accountability court issues bailable warrants against ousted PM Nawaz Sharif
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Nawaz given time till Nov 3 to appear before the court which had earlier indicted him in the Avenfield properties graft case linked with the Panama Papers leak
In yet another setback to ousted Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who has been indicted in graft cases linked with the Panama Papers leak, an accountability court in Islamabad, on Thursday, issued bailable warrants against him in connection with two corruption references.
Sharif has been granted time till November 3 to present himself before the court. If the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) chief fails to appear before the accountability court on the said date, non-bailable warrants may be issued against him. On earlier hearings in the case, Sharif’s legal team had claimed that he was in London to attend to his ailing wife Kulsoom Nawaz who is undergoing treatment for throat cancer. However, the former Premier and his wife are currently in Saudi Arabia, where they had arrived earlier this week and were reportedly en route to Pakistan.
As the hearing into the three corruption references against Nawaz and his family members began in the accountability court on Thursday, the former prime minister’s lead counsel Khawaja Haris pleaded before Accountability Judge Mohammad Bashir that his client should be exempted from appearing in court owing to his wife’s illness and ongoing treatment.
However, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) prosecutor argued that Nawaz had been granted time to appear in the court on Thursday as his earlier exemption period of 15 days was now over. The NAB then pressed for warrants to be issued to Nawaz to secure his production in the court on the next date of hearing (November 3).
The warrants have been issued to Nawaz for his alleged role in the Azizia Steel Mills and Flagship Investment Limited references – both cases that were slapped against the former Prime Minister following an expose in the famous Panama Papers leak case.
Nawaz has not submitted surety bonds in the Azizia and Flagship references whereas he has submitted in the court a Rs5 million surety bond in the third reference made against him for his alleged role in the London-based Avenfield properties case, in which he was recently indicted along with his daughter Maryam and son-in-law Capt Muhammad Safdar and is awaiting trial.
Haris informed the accountability court that the former Prime Minister’s legal team has challenged Nawaz’s indictment in the references in the Islamabad High Court which is scheduled to hear the case on November 2.
Earlier, as the hearing began, Maryam Nawaz, the former Premier’s daughter who is accused in the Avenfield reference, reached the court after landing at Islamabad airport in a special plane from Lahore while her husband, Capt (retd) Safdar, arrived at the Federal Judicial Complex before her.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1509022436289{margin-bottom: 20px !important;border-bottom-width: 20px !important;padding-top: 20px !important;padding-bottom: 20px !important;background-color: #b2b1bf !important;}”][vc_column][vc_column_text]The references against Nawaz and his family:
The NAB has in total filed three references against the Sharif family and one against Finance Minister Ishaq Dar in the accountability court, in light of the Supreme Court’s orders in the Panama Papers case verdict of July 28.
The anti-graft body was given six weeks, from the date of the apex court’s order, to file the reference in an accountability court while the accountability court was granted six months to wrap up the proceedings.
The references against Sharif and his family pertain to the Azizia Steel Mills and Hill Metals Establishment, their London properties and over a dozen offshore companies owned by the family.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Court approves Maryam, Safdar’s bail
According to a report by Pakistan’s Geo News, Maryam and Safdar – who are indicted only in the London Avenfield properties reference – have been granted bail by the accountability court on the condition of them submitting surety bonds worth Rs5 million each.
Safdar was also directed to take the court’s permission before leaving the country from now on. The judge also provided a copy of the reference — spread over 53 volumes — to Maryam and her husband.
NAB’s Rawalpindi branch prepared two references regarding the Azizia Steel Mills and Hill Metals Establishment, and the nearly dozen companies owned by the Sharif family.
Its Lahore branch prepared a reference on the Sharif family’s Avenfield apartments in London and another against Finance Minister Ishaq Dar for owning assets beyond his known sources of income.
If convicted, the accused may face up to 14 years imprisonment and lifelong disqualification from holding public office including the freezing of bank accounts and assets.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
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Canadian High Commission asks Centre to ensure safety, security of its diplomats, staff in India
The High Commission affirmed that all consulates in India are open and operational and will continue to serve clients.
Amidst rising tensions between India and Canada, the Canadian High Commission on Thursday asserted that some of its diplomats have received threats on social media. It urged India to provide security for Canadian diplomats and consular officers in the country. The High Commission further revealed that it has decided to temporarily adjust its staff presence in the country.
The High Commission also affirmed that all consulates in India are open and operational and will continue to serve clients. It added that in the view of the current environment where tensions have heightened, they are taking action to ascertain the safety of their diplomats. It further underlined that Global Affairs Canada is continuously supervising the safety and security of their missions and personnel as they maintain a strict security protocol to respond to any events.
On the other hand, the Vancouver Police Department has tightened security outside India’s Consulate amid planned threats from proscribed group Sikhs for Justice after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau claimed that Indian government agents were responsible for the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Const. Tania Visintin, the department’s media relations officer, noted that Vancouver police are not aware of any specific threats to Indian consular officials, but have increased police presence at the downtown Vancouver consulate.
In a shocking claim on Monday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau claimed the country’s security agencies were investigating a link between the Indian government and the killing of Nijjar. Following this, both India and Canada have been engaged in a diplomatic standoff. Earlier on Thursday, India suspended visa services for Canadian nationals until further notice owing to operation reasons.
In a meeting that was held on the sidelines of the G20 Summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reportedly conveyed strong concerns about continuing anti-India activities of extremist elements in Canada, promoting secessionism and inciting violence against Indian diplomats, damaging diplomatic premises, and threatening the Indian community in Canada and their places of worship.
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Gangster Lawrence Bishnoi claims responsibility for Sukhdool Singh’s killing in Canada
Terming Sukhdool Singh, a drug addict, Bishnoi’s gang claimed that he destroyed the lives of many people and that he was untimely punished for his sins.
Gangster Lawrence Bishnoi has reportedly claimed responsibility for the killing of terrorist Sukhdool Singh in Canada’s Winnipeg city. According to reports, in a Facebook post, Lawrence Bishnoi’s gang stated that Sukhdool Singh, aka Sukha Dunuke, had played a pivotal role in the killings of gangsters Gurlal Brar and Vicky Middkhera. They further alleged that the murders were plotted by Sukhdool Singh when he was staying abroad.
Terming Sukhdool Singh, a drug addict, Bishnoi’s gang claimed that he destroyed the lives of many people and that he was untimely punished for his sins. Lawrence Bishno’s gang also alleged that Sukhdool Singh, a member of Davinder Bambiha, also got Sandeep Nangal Ambiya, another gangster, killed. They added that it gave a stern warning to their enemies, stating they would not be able to live in peace, even if they hide in India or any other country.
The Killing of Sukhdool Singh came amid growing diplomatic tensions between India and Canada over the killing of another Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, British California. Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was wanted in India, was gunned down outside a gurdwara in June.
Meanwhile, Lawrence Bishnoi is currently behind bars in Ahmedabad in a drugs smuggling case probed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). In addition, he is also an accused in the Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala murder case.
Sukhdool Singh is reportedly an A-category gangster, who hailed from Punjab’s Moga and earlier escaped from his state to Canada. He was an aide of Khalistani terrorist Arshdeep Singh alias Arsh Dala. As far as reports are concerned, in 2017, Sukhdool Singh alias Sukha Dunuke obtained a passport and a police clearance certificate on forged documents to flee to Canada despite having seven criminal cases lodged against him.
Reports suggested that Sukhdool Singh, an aide of Khalistani terrorist Arshdeep Singh alias Arsh Dala, was killed in an inter-gang rivalry.
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May 9 violence: Former Pakistan PM Imran Khan charged with criminal conspiracy
Khan is charged with storming the city’s Askari Tower and Lahore Corps Commander House on May 9 along with many PTI leaders and employees.
Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has been accused of masterminding the attack on army sites and encouraging the populace to mutiny, a charge that carries a possible sentence of the death penalty, a senior Punjab Police official said on Wednesday.
Following Khan’s May 9 arrest by the paramilitary Rangers in a corruption case, Pakistan saw widespread anti-government demonstrations on a large scale. Later, 70-year-old Khan was released on bond.
During the riots, several of military facilities and government structures, including the military headquarters in Rawalpindi, were destroyed or set on fire. More than 100 police and other security agency vehicles caught fire.
Khan is charged with storming the city’s Askari Tower and Lahore Corps Commander House on May 9 along with many PTI leaders and employees.
Anoosh Masood, a senior investigating officer with the Lahore police, announced at a press conference that Khan and other PTI leaders and employees have been charged with criminal conspiracy for encouraging supporters to destroy military and government facilities on May 9.
The PTI chairman was masterminding the attacks on military posts and instigating people to violence, according to the police investigation into the events of May 9 in Lahore, she claimed.
Along with violating Section 120-B, Khan and others will also be held accountable for nine more offences, including inciting riots, encouraging mutiny, and attempting to wage war against Pakistan. The police detectives and prosecutors have filed a challan for the case, which will be delivered to the Anti-Terrorism Court Lahore, Masood added.
Since August 5, 2023, Khan has been detained in the Punjab province’s Attock Jail. He was detained in connection with the Toshakhana (gifts) case, and a three-year sentence was subsequently imposed. After the higher court postponed the judgement, he was later given bail in the case. He was detained once more under the Official Secrets Act in the cypher case, nevertheless.
Khan has applied for post-arrest bail in the cypher case before the Islamabad High Court (IHC).
