SC fixing verdict date tantamount to pre-poll rigging, says Nawaz

Nawaz exempted from June 14 hearing

ISLAMABAD: Deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif has described the apex court’s June 10 order for the accountability court to conclude trial in corruption cases against him and family members within one-month as tantamount to pre-poll rigging.

“Everyone knows what ‘wrap this up in four weeks’ means. July 10 is right before the elections [scheduled for July 25]. If this isn’t pre-poll rigging, then what it is? The Supreme Court is influencing the case before the general elections,” Sharif said on Tuesday.



He was addressing the media at the accountability court, which is hearing four references filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) against Sharif and his family in line with the Supreme Court’s July 28, 2017 verdict in Panama Papers case.

Sharif quipped that the apex court should have heard the cases itself instead of passing such directives and monitoring the accountability court since inception of the case.

“Perhaps someone should send the references back to the Supreme Court bench that had asked for them to be filed in the first place. Why must I go through the painful process of appearing in court for 100 hearings,” the former premier said.

He said round-the-clock proceedings by an accountability court are unprecedented and unheard of. “If they want to hang me, they should go ahead. If they want to send us to jail, they should go ahead.”

Referring to remarks of the chief justice of Pakistan regarding his approaching the court seeking exemption for the sake of publicity, the former PM clarified that all exemption pleas were submitted in the accountability court and not the SC.

He said that the security provided to him, a three-time prime minister, currently equaled to ‘nothing’.

Commenting on former president Pervez Musharraf’s return, Sharif said Musharraf is a dictator and not a politician. “Musharraf orchestrated the May 12 tragedy, imposed martial law and abrogated the Constitution twice but capital punishment is reserved for people like us, not him.”

He said Musharraf was responsible for the spread of terrorism in the country while, he, being the prime minister, tried to eradicate it. “The one who imposed martial law has medals and guarantees at his beck and call, while a three-time prime minister’s name is to be put on ECL [exit control list],” he said.



Court proceedings

After Sharif’s counsel Khawaja Haris recused himself from the case on Monday, the former PM is left without representation. During Tuesday’s hearing, when the accountability court judge asked if Sharif had appointed a new counsel, he said it is not possible to procure a new legal team on such short notice.

“Khawaja Haris has worked hard on this case, he is well-versed with the facts and it is not easy for me to engage another lawyer at this stage,” Sharif told the judge.

Judge Bashir informed Sharif that he had not accepted Haris’s withdrawal application as of yet and gave the deposed PM until June 19 to either convince Haris to continue representing Sharif or appoint a new legal team. The judge, however, said it is the lawyer’s fundamental right to take decision in this regard.

Meanwhile, the court also granted an exemption to Sharif and Maryam Nawaz for the June 14 hearing wherein the counsel for Maryam and her husband Captain (retd) Safdar, Amjad Pervaiz, is expected to present final arguments in the Avenfield Apartments reference.

The couple’s counsel has also backed up Haris’ concerns and said the increased number of hearings will be difficult for the legal teams to cope with. He elaborated on other engagements as a lawyer and other cases which also require attention.

“Besides, Mian sb [Sharif] should not hire a new legal team at this stage of the case,” Parvez suggested.

He also said it was earlier decided that Haris would present his arguments in the Avenfield reference before him [Pervaiz] but since Haris has withdrawn his Vakalatnama, the situation has changed.