Prosecution demands death penalty for Sharif

"It is established that the accused was present in the process of hatching a conspiracy. They stand fully implicated in the commissioning of the crime," the chief prosecutor said.

The prosecution launched its final arguments saying the evidence overwhelmingly showed that the ousted Premier gave orders to stop a passenger plane carrying the Army Chief Gen Pervez Musharraf from landing in Karachi.

The trial resumed after a week’s delay following the refusal of Sharif’s lawyers to participate in the trial in Karachi because of the shooting of their colleague Iqbal Raad a week ago. They reconsidered their decision after the Army regime promised them additional security. Sharif and six others are said to have tried to prevent a Pakistan International Airlines plane, on which Gen Musharraf was returning from Sri Lanka, from landing in Karachi on October 12, the day the Army took power in Pakistan.

When it did eventually touch down in Karachi there was only seven minutes of fuel remaining, according to the testimony of the Pilot, who said he was initially told to divert his aircraft to a Middle-Eastern country.

Sharif and his co-defendants are charged with hijacking, terrorism, attempted murder and kidnapping, all of which carry death penalty or life in prison. The anti-terrorism court at Karachi was told that the conspiracy started with the sacking of Army Chief General Pervez Musharraf and appointment of General Ziauddin in his place. Musharraf was then in Colombo on an official visit.

Sharif had planned that PIA flight PK-805 with Musarraf and 198 other passengers should not land anywhere in Pakistan, the chief prosecutor said. Qureshi later told reporters, "I have asked for the death penalty, which is the maximum punishment."