ISLAMABAD: A day before his appearance in an accountability court, ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif arrived here on Thursday and got a much-needed ‘relief’ when the Islamabad High Court accepted his plea for clubbing together three corruption references filed against him by the National Accountability Bureau in connection with the Panama Papers case verdict.

The ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president was given VIP protocol on his arrival after almost a month-long stay in London. NAB could not serve on Mr Sharif at the airport the summons of his bailable arrest warrants issued by the accountability court for not appearing before it at a previous hearing.

Soon after his arrival, the former premier held consultative meetings at Punjab House with senior party leaders, including former interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, who in a recent press conference had urged Mr Sharif to avoid politics of ‘confrontation’ and take decisions beyond ‘personal interests’.

Much-needed ‘relief’ for Sharif as IHC orders clubbing of three graft references

Meanwhile, Mr Sharif’s daughter Maryam Nawaz tweeted that her father had to return to the country to face cases. She also rejected reports about differences within the Sharif family and claimed that the PML-N would win the 2018 elections.

Earlier, a Pakistan International Airlines flight (PK-786) carrying Mr Sharif landed at Benazir Bhutto International Airport at around 8.20am. A four-member NAB team with arrest warrants for Mr Sharif was not allowed to meet him at the VIP lounge of the airport.

A large number of PML-N supporters and leaders, including federal ministers Mushahidullah and Tariq Fazal Chaudhry and senators Asif Kirmani and Pervaiz Rashid, turned up at the airport to welcome the ousted PM. Minutes after landing, Mr Sharif in a motorcade left for Punjab House.

A few hours later, the NAB team reached Punjab House to serve the summons and complete the paperwork.

According to sources, Tariq Fazal Chaudhry submitted a surety bond of Rs1 million to secure bail for Mr Sharif. Interestingly, Mr Sharif was present in Punjab House, but the summons was received by Mr Chaudhry who assured the NAB officials that the former PM would appear before the accountability court on Friday (today).

The court had issued bailable arrest warrants after Mr Sharif failed to appear before it on Oct 26 in references related to graft and having assets beyond his known sources of income.

NAB sources had earlier told Dawn that it was a legal obligation on the bureau to provide the accused an opportunity to get his bail before arrest.

Opposition parties, including the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, lashed out at the government for giving VIP protocol to a disqualified person.

IHC decision

In a significant development, the Islamabad High Court accepted Mr Sharif’s plea and ordered the accountability court to club together his three corruption references instead of trying them separately. The IHC revoked the accountability court’s verdict against merging the references in the case.

A two-judge IHC bench heard the petition filed by the former premier. Mr Sharif’s lawyer argued that the Supreme Court’s July 28 verdict in the Panama Papers case had not asked NAB to file the references separately, adding that separate charges could not be framed on each reference.

The counsel said the accountability court had dismissed the plea for holding the trial after merging the NAB references without any legal basis. He asked the IHC to halt tomorrow’s (Friday) hearing in view of the arguments.

A NAB prosecutor opposed the arguments, saying the Supreme Court had already dismissed the review petition filed by Mr Sharif. He said the nature of charges in the three references was different, adding that statements are being recorded after handing over the charge sheet.

After hearing arguments from both sides, Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kiyani observed that the charges were classified according to criminal codes, but there’s no such thing alike in the NAB ordinance. The judge revoked the accountability court’s Oct 19 verdict, but did not postpone Friday’s hearing in the court where the former prime minister was set to appear.

Asif Kirmani had filed the petition in the IHC on Mr Sharif’s behalf, stating that separate indictments in three corruption cases was against the law and, therefore, these should be clubbed together.

Former NAB prosecutor general Irfan Qadir said in a TV programme that under NAB laws, more than one case of any accused could be clubbed together, adding that the IHC had given a just decision in this regard.

A senior PML-N leader termed the IHC decision a ‘big relief’ for by the ruling party.

Consultative meetings

A source privy to the consultative meetings in Punjab House, also attended by Maryam Nawaz, told Dawn that the PML-N leadership had decided to stage a public meeting in Abbottabad on Nov 12. He said Mr Sharif would leave for London after the public meeting. The former PM will proceed to Lahore after the hearing of his case in the accountability court on Friday.

Mr Sharif alleged that cases against him and his family were being fabricated and that the Panama Papers case verdict became a source of embarrassment [for the nation].

Despite all these reservations, Mr Sharif said he would appear before courts to show his respect for the judiciary, notwithstanding the ailment of Begum Kulsoom, who needed his presence as per doctors’ advice.

The former first lady underwent a second round of chemotherapy in London on Wednesday.

The ousted prime minister had earlier twice appeared before the accountability court after his pleas for exemption from personal appearance were rejected by the court.

Published in Dawn, November 3rd, 2017