Nawaz Sharif appeals against graft conviction
corruption cases against Sharif from the anti-graft court of Judge Mohammad Bashir to another court in Islamabad.
The appeals said Judge Bashir had passed the verdict in the Avenfield apartments case on the basis of presumptions and assumptions, and without fulfilling the “requirements of justice”. They argued that until the high court decides on the appeals, the convicts should be released on bail. In a separate development, PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif, his son Hamza Shahbaz, former premier Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and 50 leaders of the PML-N party have been booked on terrorism and other charges for “inciting” crowds to violate the law in Lahore on Friday at the time of the arrival of Sharif and Maryam from London.
Sharif and his daughter were in London caring for his ailing wife Kulsoom when they were convicted by the anti-graft court.
An FIR lodged at Lohari police station accused Shehbaz and his son of pelting law enforcement personnel with stones, allegedly with the intention of killing them. The allegations against the PML-N leaders include damaging public properties, issuing threats and injuring law enforcement personnel. They were accused of interfering in official work and violating rules banning large gathering and the code of conduct issued by the Election Commission for candidates, and organising illegal assemblies and rallies.
According to Lahore Police, a total of 12 FIRs were filed against the PML-N leaders.
Meanwhile, the independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) on Monday criticised “blatant, aggressive and unabashed” attempts to manipulate the elections as politicians expressed security fears following one of the country’s deadliest terror attacks.