Nawaz, Imran to converge on capital tomorrow

Former premiers to respectively appear before IHC, ECP

ISLAMABAD:

On Tuesday, two former prime ministers, Nawaz Sharif and Imran Khan, will be in Islamabad, using Constitution Avenue as they separately appear before the Islamabad High Court (IHC) and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) as accused individuals.

Constitution Avenue, situated in the capital's Red Zone, is adorned with various key buildings, including Parliament, the Prime Minister's House, the Supreme Court, the Foreign Office, the IHC, and the ECP.

Nawaz and Imran once roamed this area as the country's prime ministers, but Tuesday will mark a different day as they find themselves in their much-loved and familiar territory for reasons they might never have envisioned during their time as the chief executives of the country.

Nawaz Sharif was convicted and sentenced to prison in the Al-Azizia and Avenfield corruption cases in 2018. In October 2019, he was granted bail on humanitarian grounds by the IHC and the Lahore High Court (LHC), following which he traveled to London for medical treatment in November 2019.

Despite court orders, the PML-N leader did not return to Pakistan and was declared a proclaimed offender with non-bailable arrest warrants by the IHC and an accountability court.

However, on Thursday, October 19, just two days before his return to Pakistan after four years of self-exile, both the IHC and the accountability court granted Nawaz protective bail until October 24.

According to sources within the PML-N, Nawaz Sharif, accompanied by former federal minister Ishaq Dar, will depart for Murree on Monday (today). At the popular tourist resort, he is expected to hold crucial meetings with some party leaders.

The PML-N's supreme leader will arrive in Islamabad on Tuesday to appear before both the IHC and the accountability court, the latter of which is hearing a reference related to the alleged misuse of an official gift repository.

Meanwhile, Imran Khan, who is currently confined at Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail in connection with the diplomatic cipher case, will be produced before the ECP in a contempt case.

Since his arrest on August 5, Imran has not been presented in any court, as his trial in the cipher case has been conducted within the jail. This will be the first time he is taken out of jail to be presented before any authority.

Last week, the ECP issued production orders for Imran, instructing the relevant authorities to produce him from Adiala Jail before an ECP bench to frame charges in the contempt case.

The election oversight authority had initiated contempt proceedings against Imran Khan, Fawad Chaudhry, and Asad Umar last year for using intemperate, non-parliamentary language and making contemptuous remarks against the ECP and its chief.

The ECP's order of October 11 stated, "Under this production order, the respondent shall be produced only before the Election Commission of Pakistan on 24.10.2023 at 10:00 am, and after the proceedings, the respondent shall be returned to jail forthwith."

The ECP bench directed the authorities to make all necessary arrangements for the respondent's production, with a focus on ensuring security provided by the Inspectors General of Police for Islamabad and Punjab.

[WITH INPUT FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT IN LAHORE]