Safdar shifted to Adiala Jail after court appearance

Media personnel barred from court proceedings

ISLAMABAD: Captain (retd) Muhammad Safdar, the son-in-law of ousted premier Nawaz Sharif, was shifted on Monday to Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail after the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) presented him before the accountability court.

Safdar, who was awarded two-year ‘rigorous imprisonment’ on Friday after the court found him guilty along with his wife, Maryam, and father-in-law, Sharif, was kept in the NAB Islamabad office overnight and shifted to Adiala in the morning after his court appearance.

Earlier, authorities brought the convict into the courtroom through the judge’s door and media personnel were barred from the courtroom. NAB Deputy Prosecutor General Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi later said journalists were not allowed to enter the court due to security concerns.

When the reporters were allowed to enter the court they informed the judge, Muhammad Bashir, about the security officials’ misbehaviour and restriction on their entry into the courtroom.

The reporters said such restrictions were not even imposed when Sharif was being tried in Attock Fort during the military regime of General Pervez Musharraf. The judge, however, told the media that he had not directed anyone to stop anyone from entering the courtroom.



Later, the accountability court judge appreciated the reporters’ conduct throughout the 10-month long trial proceedings of Sharif family and said they should be given certificates for best conduct. He also invited them for tea, an offer that reporters politely turned down.

Apart from Monday, the reporters during the ten-month-long proceedings of Avenfield case were also barred from entering the court on the occasion of Sharifs’ indictment and pronouncement of judgement on July 6. The security officials had always maintained that they stopped reporters on court’s directions.

FIRs registered against Safdar, PML-N leaders

Meanwhile, three First Information Reports (FIRs) have been registered against the PML-N leaders from Rawalpindi for rallying with Safdar a day earlier. These PML-N leaders include a senator and two National Assembly candidates.

The Police in Rawalpindi booked the entire top leadership of the PML-N in the district after they took out the rally and the protesters violated a ban on rallies under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and caused inconvenience for the public by blocking roads.

Since the speeches were on loudspeakers, PML-N leaders including Safdar have also been booked for violating the Amplifier Act. Cases have been registered at New Town, City and Waris Khan police stations.

Apart from Safdar, prominent PML-N leaders booked include candidate for NA-60 Hanif Abbasi, candidate for NA-62 Chaudhry Danial, Senator Chaudhry Tanveer, and Shakeel Awan. Several other party leaders have also been nominated along with hundreds of unnamed party workers.

Before his arrest, Safdar staged a rally in Rawalpindi, lashed out at the state institutions and asked supporters to stand up against ‘injustice’. The rally was attended by hundreds of local PML-N supporters, workers and leaders.

On July 7, three NAB teams raided various addresses in Mansehra, Safdar’s hometown, for arresting him but he managed to evade arrest. NAB teams also raided his houses in Haripur and Abbottabad but remained unsuccessful in making the arrest.

On Sunday afternoon Capt Safdar appeared at the main election office of the PML-N leader Hanif Abbasi on the Sixth Road in Rawalpindi and announced to surrender before the authorities concerned. After his arrest, NAB issued a statement expressing displeasure over Sunday’s turn of events.

And on Monday, the accountability watchdog on instruction of its chairman Javed Iqbal also lodged a complaint to Rawalpindi Police for registration of an FIR against Safdar and others for provision of shelter to a convicted person, unlawful gathering of people in spite of imposition of Section 144 in Rawalpindi and delivery of hate speeches after issuance of Safdar’s arrest warrants.

NAB chief also asked why Rawalpindi police did not arrest and stop people from joining a convicted person and delivering hate speeches.  Despite registration of FIRs, no arrests have so far been made by Rawalpindi Police.

“NAB Rawalpindi is monitoring all the position after registration of the FIR by Rawalpindi Police and will bring all the situation in the notice of NAB chairman as per law and if needed will be brought in the notice of the Honourable Accountability Court Islamabad after approval of the worthy Chairman NAB,” a statement issued by NAB said.

Al-Azizia & Hill Metal Establishment reference

As the Accountability Court judge Muhammad Bashir resumed hearing of the Al-Azizia & Hill Metal Establishment reference, Sharif’s counsel Khawaja Haris urged the judge to recuse himself from further proceeding as he has already convicted three members of Sharif family in the Avenfield reference.

Haris said the court has already disclosed its mind while convicting accused in the Avenfield reference, adding that he should now recuse himself from the Al-Azizia and Flagship references. He said the key evidence in all three references is the Joint Investigation Team’s report related to Dubai Steel Mills, its sale, Qatari Investment, final settlement of Avenfield reference etc.

The ousted PM’s counsel suggested that the matter should be referred to the Islamabad High Court chief justice since it is the administrating and controlling authority of the accountability court.

Judge Bashir while agreeing to refer the matter to the IHC remarked that he would also write a letter to the Supreme Court seeking a further extension in the timeframe and would also inform the apex court that the defence counsel has sought transfer of the case to another court.

The SC had previously set July 9 as the final date for announcing judgments in the references while extending an earlier deadline for concluding them. The court, however, only wrapped up the Avenfield reference within the stipulated time.