Nawaz subjected to ‘political victimisation’ in plots case

Court directs relevant authorities to release any seized properties of PML-N supremo

LAHORE:

An accountability court in Lahore on Thursday issued the detailed verdict acquitting former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in a graft reference pertaining to the alleged illegal allotment of plots in 1986, saying that the PML-N supremo had been subjected to “political victimisation”.

The written order stated that the proper procedure had not been followed while declaring Nawaz a proclaimed offender in the related National Accountability Bureau (NAB) reference.

Noting that Nawaz had been subjected to "political victimisation" through this case, the court directed the graft buster and revenue authorities to release any seized properties of the PML-N supremo and other applicants in the case.

The reference in question, filed during the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) tenure in 2020, had accused Nawaz of conniving with an accomplice for the illegal allotment of land in Block-H, Johar Town, Lahore in 1986. The reference alleged that Nawaz’s accomplice had illegally registered 54 one-kanal plots of land against the exemption policy and the law for monetary gains and Nawaz, who was then chief minister of Punjab, had facilitated this.

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Nawaz had been declared a proclaimed offender in the case for repeatedly failing to appear before the court as NAB pursued the case.

Last month, an accountability court announced Nawaz’s acquittal in a short order while hearing separate pleas filed by the PML-N chief’s relatives against the auction of assets owned by him. Nawaz’s accomplice was acquitted in the case in January 2022.

In the written order, Judge Rao Abdul Jabbar, who had earlier announced the verdict, stated that the former government forced the graft buster to file this reference against Nawaz in order to destroy the future of the three-time prime minister.

Citing the example of a previous verdict, the written order mentioned that the proper procedure was not followed while declaring Nawaz a proclaimed offender.

According to the written verdict, an individual could only be declared a proclaimed offender if the court was satisfied regarding the execution of warrants and fulfillment of all other formalities.

“In this case, the record is silent regarding who issued the warrants, publications or documents containing the material to inform the accused to appear before the court of law. This is a mandatory condition, otherwise, the entire proceedings become void and illegal,” the verdict stated.

“If the accused had already left the country before any notice, summon, warrant or proceedings were issued to appear before the court of law, the entire proceedings become illegal and void ab-initio,” it added.

Moreover, the written order directed the release of any properties seized in the case, stating that Nawaz was entitled to the same relief as granted to the principal accused in the case, his accomplice.