Nawaz Sharif booked for jailbreak plan

KARACHI, JAN 21: Police have registered a case against deposed Pakistani premier Nawaz Sharif for planning a jail break in Karachi, police and government officials said Friday. The case was registered at a local police station on the complaint of Nusrat Hussain Mangi, superintendant of Landhi prison, where Sharif and others are being held, they said. Sharif, Saif-ur Rehman, former head of the Accountability Bureau, and Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, former head of Pakistan International Airlines, were also accused of taking part in planning the jail break.

A senior police official, who did not want to be named, said the plan was unearthed when prison authorities caught the daughter of one of the accused, Rehman, on January 9 leaving her father8217;s prison with a sketch map of the jail. quot;These three people prepared the jail break plan,quot; said Chief Public Prosecutor Raja Qureshi, who is also the Advocate General of southern Sindh province. Qureshi said Sharif and two others accused in the case could be punished with a maximum 10 years8217; imprisonment, if found guilty.

quot;Since these are not scheduled offences, the case of jail break would be tried in normal courts and not in the special anti-terrorism courts,quot; he said. But a lawyer for Sharif, Arshad Khan Jadoon, insisted the former premier was innocent. quot;It is a lie. The former premier Mian Nawaz Sharif does not need to plan for jail break while he is already facing charges in the court,quot; Jadoon said. quot;It is just an attempt to humiliate the political leader,quot; he said. quot;He is innocent and does not need to run away from the prison. It is just a joke.quot;

On Wednesday, a Pakistani anti-terrorism court judge formally charged Sharif, his brother Shahbaz, and five other senior officials with abduction, attempted murder, hijacking and terrorism. If convicted of the hijacking charge they could face the death penalty. Sharif pleaded not guilty. The former premier was ousted in a military coup by Army Chief General Pervez Musharraf on October 12. He has been held in detention since.