Framing of charges against Sharif delayed

ISLAMABAD, NOV 26: The framing of charges against Pakistan's deposed Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and seven others accused of treason and ...

ISLAMABAD, NOV 26: The framing of charges against Pakistan8217;s deposed Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and seven others accused of treason and plane hijacking was deferred to December 4 by an anti-terrorist court in Karachi on Friday after the prosecution sought more time for completing investigations.

Provincial Attorney General Raja Qureshi told judge Rehmat Hussain Jaffri that three more accused had been arrested only early this week and quot;we need more time to assess all the witnesses and the evidence.quot;

Nawaz Sharif8217;s younger brother and former chief minister of Punjab Shahbaz Sharif, along with close Nawaz-aide Saifur Rahman and Principal Secretary Saeed Mehendi were included in the case on Thursday after their arrest a day earlier.

All the accused were produced in court as per an earlier deadline set by the judge to the prosecution to submit chargesheets.

Security around the court was tight as Sharif was driven back to jail in an armoured personnel carrier as Pakistani rangers formed a human shield around him as he left the courtroom.

Witnesses inside the court room said the deposed premier hugged Shahbaz with tears in his eyes as he urged his younger brother to be strong as quot;we are innocent. We have not done anything wrong. Keep your chin up.quot;

The Karachi police had initiated the plane hijacking case on the basis of an FIR against five accused including Nawaz Sharif. The others were former adviser to Sharif on Sindh affairs Ghaus Ali Shah, former PIA chairman Shahid Khaqan Abassi, Director General of Civil Aviation Authority Ameenullah Choudhury and former IGP of Sindh Rana Maqbool.

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Choudhury, however, has turned approver and has been granted pardon by the military leadership. He is now considered a star witness for the prosecution.

The FIR had alleged that the accused conspired to prevent landing of a PIA flight carrying Army Chief General Pervez Musharraf and 200 other passengers at Karachi airport on October 12. The plane was running short of fuel and this had endangered the lives of those on board, it alleged.

Meanwhile, the defence team for Sharif and the co-accused led by the country8217;s top criminal lawyer Ejas Batalvi assisted by former law minister Khalid Anwar and Justice Aftab Farrukh is confident that it could quot;rip apartquot; the prosecution case by exposing quot;gaping holesquot; in the FIR and evidence.

The prosecution, led by little-known Karachi lawyer Ilyas Khan, is also confident that it has quot;solid evidence to send another Pakistani Prime Minister to the gallows.quot;