Page 7 - Nawaz Sharif

Pakistan court acquits former PM Nawaz Sharif in Al-Azizia corruption case

The Islamabad High Court on Tuesday acquitted Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in the Al-Azizia Steel mill corruption case as he eyes a record fourth term as premier in the next elections. Sharif, 73, was sentenced to seven years in jail and imposed a heavy fine by an anti-corruption court in December 2018 after he failed to convince the court that he had nothing to do with the steel mill set up by his father in 2001 in Saudi Arabia. The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday acquitted Sharif in the Al-Azizia reference. He was already acquitted in the Avenfield case in which he was convicted in July 2018 and sentenced to ten years in Jail. He also got relief in the Flagship corruption case in which he was declared innocent by the court in 2018 but the acquittal was challenged in the IHC by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). Sharif was living in exile in Saudi Arabia at the time the mill was set up after the former military ru

Nawaz Sharif seeking fourth term via selection: PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto

The PPP chairman's remarks come as political parties in Pakistan prepare for the upcoming general elections slated for February 8 next year

Pakistan's election commission receives petitions seeking delay of polls

Two separate petitions seeking the postponement of general elections in Pakistan on February 8 landed before the election commission, citing growing terror threats and inclement weather. The petitions, filed by individuals hailing from the restive Balochistan province, cited security issues and snowfall in several districts as reasons to seek the postponement of elections, the Dawn newspaper reported. One of the petitions filed by Meena Majeed, a general councillor from Mand tehsil of Kech district through Advocate Fatima Nazar, stated Balochistan was grappling with heightened security concerns. Specifically, the Mekran division has witnessed a surge in terrorist activities, ranging from target killings of innocent daily wage earners to alarming incidents such as IED blasts and women suicide bombing, it stated. The impact was most pronounced in districts such as Kech and Gwadar, where 61 acts of terrorism during the last three months alone claimed 32 lives, it read. According to t

Pak's ex-PM Nawaz Sharif's conviction reversed in two 2018 corruption cases

The Islamabad High Court on Wednesday acquitted Pakistan's former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in two cases of corruption in which he was convicted in 2018. Sharif, 73, had challenged in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) his sentences in the Avenfield property and Al-Azizia cases. A two-member bench comprising Chief Justice Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb announced the verdict after hearing arguments from both sides. The former premier was convicted in July 2018 and handed 10 years in jail in the Avenfield properties corruption case about assets beyond known income in London. He was sentenced in the Al-Azizia Steel Mills case to seven years in jail in December 2018. The cases were filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), the national anti-corruption watchdog. He had filed an appeal against both convictions. Sharif went to London in 2019 and could not return and was declared a proclaimed offender in both cases in December 2020 by the IHC. He came bac

PML-N indicates plan B for making Nawaz Sharif Pak PM record 4th time

Indicating that it has already prepared a plan B to ensure that Nawaz Sharif becomes the prime minister of Pakistan for a record fourth time, a senior PML-N leader has said that if there are legal hurdles for this, the party will remove them if voted back to power. Pakistan is going to the polls on February 8. The 73-year-old Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Sharif returned to Pakistan from London on October 21 after four years of self-imposed exile. After his arrival, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) restored Nawaz's appeals against his conviction in the Avenfield Apartments and Al-Azizia corruption cases but did not fix any date for the hearing. Nawaz has been on protective bail. Besides, the three-time prime minister is also facing disqualification till 2028 to contest polls in which he also needs a clean chit from the court. PML-N Punjab president Rana Sanaullah on Saturday said that if there are legal hurdles impeding Nawaz's accession to the Prime Minister's Office f

Pakistan court orders return of Nawaz Sharif's seized property, assets

An accountability court in Pakistan on Friday ordered authorities to release all properties and assets seized from former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in 2020. Judge Muhammad Bashir of the Islamabad accountability court heard the Toshakhana corruption case against the 73-year-old Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo who returned to Pakistan on October 21 after about four years of self-imposed exile in London, The Express Tribune newspaper reported. The judge issued an order to return all properties, vehicles, and bank accounts owned by the three-time former prime minister, which were seized in 2020 on the orders of an accountability court during a hearing of the Toshakhana case. More than 1,650 canals (approximately 0.8 sq km) of agricultural land, a Mercedes Benz car, a Land Cruiser, and other vehicles were confiscated by the three-time prime minister in 2020 after he was declared a proclaimed offender in the Toshakhana case, according to the report. The court had ordered t

Next Pak PM won't be from Lahore: Bilawal Bhutto's veiled dig at Sharif

In an apparent dig at PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has expressed his hope that the next prime minister will not be from Lahore and hinted that his party will contest the polls "on its own" in the February 8 general election. Former foreign minister Bhutto Zardari, 35, also clarified that his party PPP does not need to look towards anyone to emerge victorious in the upcoming polls, Geo News quoted him as saying. "When it comes to elections, we [PPP] only look towards the people of Pakistan. We do not look or pin any hope from anywhere elsethe PM would only become that person, who is elected by the people of Pakistan. And I understand that this time the prime minister of the country will not be from Lahore, he told reporters. Bhutto Zardari's comments came after PPP on Sunday won big in the by-polls held across 14 districts of Sindh and also weeks after a telephonic call between his father and former president Asif Ali Zardar

Pakistan interim govt suspends Nawaz Sharif's sentence in Al-Azizia case

The development comes on the day when Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Sharif is scheduled to attend multiple hearings at an accountability court

Pakistan general elections date likely to be announced soon: Caretaker PM

Asserting that there will be a level playing field for all political parties in the next general election, Pakistan's caretaker prime minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar has expressed hope that the election commission will shortly announce the date of the polls. Without mentioning the exact date, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) last month announced that general elections would take place in the last week of January 2024. It seems that the date of the elections will be announced quite soon," Kakar told reporters at a news conference, three days after returning from China, where he had attended Belt and Road Forum (BRF) conference on the 10th anniversary of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Commenting on the issue of equal political space for parties in the country, Kakar said, No political party has been left out of the political process and that the caretaker government is doing its best to assist the electoral process.

In this hour of despair, comeback kid Nawaz Sharif is not what Pak needs

Nawaz Sharif, who in the past has served as prime minister three times, returned home Saturday after living in London in self-imposed exile for nearly four years

Was offered $5 bn by Bill Clinton to not conduct nuclear tests: Sharif

Hours after his homecoming, Pakistan's former prime minister Nawaz Sharif highlighted the achievements of his tenure and recalled how he gave a "befitting reply" to India's atomic explosion by conducting nuclear tests in 1998 despite being offered USD 5 billion by then US president Bill Clinton not to do so. Sharif, 73, returned home on a special flight from Dubai, ending a four-year self-imposed exile in the UK, to head his party and try to secure a record fourth term in the general elections expected to be held in January. Wearing a light blue kurta pyjama, a maroon muffler and a black coat, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo flew in from Dubai to Islamabad on the 'Umeed-e-Pakistan' chartered plane at around 1:30 pm local time. He reached Lahore, considered a stronghold of his Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party, to address a massive rally, I am meeting you today after several years, but my relationship of love with you is the same. There is no difference in

Nawaz Sharif returns to Pakistan after 4-years in self-imposed exile in UK

Pakistan's former prime minister Nawaz Sharif returned home on Saturday on a special flight from Dubai after a four-year self-imposed exile in the UK to head his party and try to secure a record fourth term in the general elections expected to be held in January. The 73-year-old Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo flew in from Dubai to Islamabad on the chartered flight "Umeed-e-Pakistan" along with some family members, senior party leaders and friends.

Former PM Nawaz Sharif set to return to Pakistan after 4-year exile in UK

Pakistan's former prime minister Nawaz Sharif is set to arrive here on Saturday after a four-year self-imposed exile in the UK, months ahead of general elections. The 73-year-old Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo will fly in from Dubai to Islamabad on a chartered plane, former finance minister and PML-N stalwart Ishaq Dar said. After staying an hour or so in Islamabad, he will leave for Lahore to address a rally at Minar-i-Pakistan, Dar told journalists on Friday. According to the party, Nawaz will likely land in Islamabad at 12:30 p.m. and leave for Lahore after a couple of hours. He may first go to his Jati Umra residence before leaving for Minari-Pakistan later in the day. The reason Nawaz is arriving in Islamabad instead of Lahore is that his touchdown in the capital was necessary to make bail, earlier granted by the Islamabad High Court on Thursday, the Dawn newspaper reported. Putting up an emphatic show for the homecoming of Nawaz Sharif is very important to tell

Pak HC grants Nawaz Sharif protective bail in 2 graft cases till Oct 24

In a temporary relief to Nawaz Sharif ahead of his return to Pakistan on Saturday, the Islamabad High Court on Thursday granted the former prime minister a protective bail in the Avenfield and Al-Azizia corruption cases until October 24. Also, an anti-corruption court in Pakistan suspended his arrest warrant in the Toshakhana vehicles case. The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo through a counsel Qazi Mushahid approached the Islamabad-base accountability court No. 1 on Wednesday for suspension of the permanent arrest warrant issued two years ago for failing to appear in a case about getting a vehicle from Toshakhana on concessional price. The 73-year-old politician was convicted in the Avenfield and Al-Azizia cases and was declared a proclaimed offender in the Toshakhana vehicle case, which is pending before an accountability court in Islamabad. Nawaz was on bail in these cases when he left for the UK in 2019 for medical treatment. The respite comes just days ahead of Naw

Nawaz Sharif to unveil Pakistan recovery plan at Minar-e-Pakistan gathering

Pakistan's self-exiled former prime minister Nawaz Sharif will give a road map to pull the cash-strapped country out of the economic mess during his gathering here in the capital of Punjab province on October 21, a media report said on Monday. The Lahore district administration on Sunday allowed the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party to hold a gathering at the Minar-e-Pakistan after the former ruling party sought permission in a bid to whip up support for its supreme leader's return later this week, Dawn news reported. Speaking to workers at a party convention in Mustafabad, PML-N Vice President Hamza Shehbaz said Pakistan will restart its journey towards progress and prosperity with the return of the PML-N supreme leader later this week. In his address at Minar-e-Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif will give a road map to pull the country out of the economic mess, Hamza Shehbaz, the nephew of Nawaz Sharif, said. He said the PML-N and its allies saved the country while risking their ...

Nawaz Sharif to reach Pakistan in chartered plane from Dubai on October 21

Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif will reach Pakistan in a chartered plane from Dubai on October 21, ending his four-year-long self-imposed exile in the UK, according to a media report. The flight carrying Nawaz will have the name "Umeed-e-Pakistan" which can carry approximately 150 passengers, Geo News reported. The booking has been made and all arrangements are in place, the report said. The 73-year-old three-time prime minister is expected to lead his Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party in the general elections likely to be held in January next year. Sharif, along with party members and journalists, is scheduled to leave Dubai for Pakistan on October 21. The special flight will land in Islamabad from Dubai before proceeding to Lahore, Sharif will address the gathering at Minar-e-Pakistan. Sharif will reach Saudi Arabia for Umrah on Wednesday. He will stay in Saudi Arabia for a week during which he will hold important meetings. He will arrive in Dubai on October 18. Sha

Nawaz Sharif books flight tickets to return Pak from UK on Oct 21: Report

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif has reportedly booked flight tickets to return from the UK to the country on October 21, ending a four-year "self-imposed exile", a media report said Monday. Nawaz, 73, recently said that he is excited to return to Pakistan on October 21 to lead his party in the election likely to be held in January 2024. Citing a source, Samaa TV reported that Nawaz, who is currently in the UK, will land at the Abu Dhabi International Airport on October 21. He is scheduled to fly to Lahore from Abu Dhabi on the same day. He has booked a business class ticket on flight EY243 of Etihad Airways in advance, sources said. They further said the Etihad Airways flight will land at the Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore at 6:25 p.m. Those accompanying Nawaz will reportedly be his staff members, personal advisers, Dr. Adnan and Senator Irfan Siddiqui. According to sources, several PML-N leaders and former lawmaker

PML-N President Sharif advises party leaders to avoid travelling abroad

Meanwhile, as preparations continue in Lahore in full swing, the PML-N is organising a grand political power show to welcome Nawaz Sharif

India reached moon, hosted G20 Summit, we are begging for funds: Sharif

Criticising the ongoing state of Pakistan's economy, Sharif said, "Those who did this to our country are the biggest criminals"

Former PM Nawaz Sharif likely to return to Pakistan in October: Report

Ending his over four years of self-imposed exile in the UK, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif is likely to return to Pakistan next month, according to a media report on Saturday. Quoting sources present at a meeting in London where Sharif, the supreme leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), was speaking to his party workers, the Dawn newspaper reported that he spoke about his return, but a clear date for travel has not been disclosed. Sharif, 73, has been living in self-imposed exile in London since November 2019. He was convicted in the Al-Azizia Mills and Avenfield corruption cases in 2018. He was serving a seven-year imprisonment at Lahore's Kot Lakhpat jail in the Al-Azizia Mills case before he was allowed to proceed to London in 2019 on medical grounds. PML-N workers at the meeting were eager to prepare for their leader's return and were discussing the logistical details of his comeback. Sharif confirmed his return to Pakistan in October, the Dawn report said. The