Sharif, Maryam arrested for graft, sent to prison
Arrested on arrival in Lahore, flown to Islamabad
Lahore, July 13: Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam were arrested by National Accountability Bureau ( NAB) officials on Friday night upon their return to the country after their conviction in one of the three corruption cases against the powerful political family, less than two weeks before the country goes to polls.
After their arrest, they were moved to Islamabad where they will be incarcerated at Sihala Police Training College Rest House.
Nawaz, 68, and Maryam, 44, were convicted in the Avenfield corruption reference last Friday and handed jail sentences of 10 years and seven years, respectively. The former was found guilty of owning assets beyond known income, while his daughter was convicted for aiding and abetting her father in covering up a “conspiracy”.
While many have wondered why Nawaz and Maryam returned to Pakistan to go behind bars, party veterans say that in the post- election scenario, their narrative will dominate, no matter what the results are. “Even if we are thrown out of the government, we shall dominate both
houses of the Parliament. It will be our time, baby!” a PML- N senator was quoted as saying.
Lahore, July 13: Pakistan's former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam were arrested by National Accountability Bureau ( NAB) officials on Friday night upon their return to the country after their conviction in one of the three corruption cases against the powerful political family, less than two weeks before the country goes to polls.
The plane carrying Nawaz, the supremo of the Pakistan Muslim League ( Nawaz), and Maryam landed at Lahore's Allama Iqbal Airport at 9: 15 local time, nearly three hours late from the scheduled arrival.
After their arrest they boarded a small, chartered plane bound for Islamabad.
According to media reports, dozens of security officials entered Etihad Airways flight EY243 from Abu Dhabi plane after it landed in Lahore and asked other passengers to leave. The duo's passports were seized and their immigration formalities completed on board the plane. Later they were permitted to meet Begum Shamim Akhtar, Sharif's mother, in the airport's Haj Lounge.
Later, father and daughter duo were transferred to an Islamabad guest house which turned into a subjail. The Islamabad chief commissioner issued a notification declaring Sihala Police Training College Rest House in Islamabad "as sub- jail for keeping the convicted prisoner Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, ex- Prime Minister, and Ms Mariam Nawaz, who have been arrested by NAB authorities, with immediate effect and till further orders."
Nawaz, 68, and Maryam, 44, were convicted by an accountability court in the Avenfield corruption reference last Friday and handed jail sentences of 10 years and seven years, respectively. The former was found guilty of owning assets beyond known income, while his daughter was convicted for aiding and abetting her father in covering up a "conspiracy".
After the verdict was announced, Nawaz and Maryam had said they would return to Pakistan and appeal against the decision.
Nawaz and his party have accused the military of being behind his conviction, saying it is going after the PML- N for its criticism of the security establishment.