A Pakistani court on Saturday acquitted former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in a 37-year-old case that allegedly involved the transfer of “precious state land” as a “kickback” to one of the country’s leading media house owners. acquitted.
The court ruling came just days after the federal government led by Nawaz Sharif’s younger brother, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, made significant changes to laws to lift life bans on politicians.
Nawaz Sharif was disqualified by the Supreme Court in 2017. Following the Supreme Court’s decision in the Panama Papers case in 2018, he lost the right to hold public office for life.
“An accountability court in Lahore has acquitted three-time prime minister Nawaz Sharif in a case related to the illegal transfer of 54-kanal (6.75 acres) of precious state land to Mir Shakeel-ur-Rehman, owner of Jang/Geo media group in Lahore. Gave it when he was the chief minister of Punjab 37 years ago,” a court official told PTI.
“Judge Rao Abdul Jabbar acquitted him after the country’s anti-corruption body (National Accountability Bureau) informed the court that following recent amendments to its law (by the Shehbaz Sharif-led coalition government), the case was pending before it.” does not come in,” said the officer.
The court has currently acquitted Mir Shakeel-ur-Rehman in this case.
In a previous charge sheet, the NAB said Nawaz Sharif, who was also the chairman of the Lahore Development Authority (LDA), in 1986 had approved the waiver of 54 valuable plots of land in a block (compact form) of a canal along the canal. H-Block of MA Johar Town, Lahore. This was done to give undue advantage to Rahman.
Since November 2019, Nawaz Sharif, the supreme leader of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), has been living in self-exile in the United Kingdom.
Sharif was serving a seven-year prison sentence in the Al-Azizia Mills corruption case when he left for London on a four-wheeler bail granted by the Lahore High Court for medical reasons.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and former Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan claimed that former army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa had manipulated Sharif’s release from prison and the latter struck a deal with him.
When the date for the general election is announced, the PML-N claims that its top leaders will return to Pakistan.
Elections are due in October after the term of the country’s current government ends on August 13.
Read this also | Imran Khan praises PM Modi, criticizes Nawaz Sharif, owner of assets worth billions abroad
read this also , Pakistan: ‘Disqualified’ Nawaz Sharif likely to return, President approves Supreme Court review of decision bill