Islamabad, Nov 18: Pakistan's deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif was flown to Karachi amid tight security today to stand trial in an anti-terrorism court for charges of treason and hijacking.The former premier, who was brought from Chaklala to Karachi by military authorities on a special PIA plane, is expected to be produced before Rahmat Husain Jafri, the administrative judge for anti-terrorism courts, tomorrow as the police are required to produce an accused before a magistrate within 24 hours of formal arrest.Sharif, along with four other top functionaries of the dethroned government, has been accused of endangering the life of Army Chief General Pervez Musharraf and over 200 others by not allowing landing of their plane at Karachi when the aircraft had only ten minutes of fuel left on October 12.An FIR filed at the Karachi airport police station by military authorities also charges Sharif with sedition.The other accused are former adviser to Sharif on Sindh Affairs Syed Ghaus Ali Shah, former chairman of PIA Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, former director general of civil aviation Aminullah Choudhury and former inspector general of police of Sindh Rana Maqbool.The deposed premier has also been charged with defaulting on loan repayment under the new anti-corruption law which envisages barring the guilty from holding public office for 21 years and imprisonment of up to 14 years.Meanwhile in London, Sharif's son Hasan has appealed to US President Bill Clinton to help ensure ``safety and security'' of his father and members of his family.Describing the present situation in Pakistan in context of Nawaz Sharif's safety and security as ``very dangerous'', Hasan pointed out in a letter to Clinton that his father had been charged with ``crimes punishable by the death penalty.''He said Sharif should be afforded a fair and speedy trial in a civil court rather than a specially-convened `anti-terrorist' tribunal and his family members be released from detention.``To this end, I am requesting your attention. I feel that a team of international observers to the trial is critical,'' he said.Hasan feared that the lack of respect for democracy had extended to the lack of respect to human rights.``I request your attention as the leader of the free world, of which Pakistan is no longer a member. And I request your attention as it would send a moral message which would not be easily disregarded by the military authorities and by the global community," he said.Sharif is being moved to Karachi to await a trial in an `anti-terrorism'' court, Hasan said in the letter, adding ``there are no more details regarding his well-being.''``And the fact that the Commonwealth delegation was denied a personal audience with him makes me feel extremely worried about his safety," the former premier's son said.He pointed out to Clinton that his mother, brother and sisters as well as the families of his aunts and uncles had been detained by the military since the October 12 coup.``The ages of those detained range from 80 years t two years. The military roams inside and outside their personal family homes. They have been denied medical attention and have been held incommunicado since October 12," he aid.Hasan has also visited Washington for four days from November nine and met Secretary of Energy Bill Richardson, deputy Secretary of State Karl Inderfurth and senior advisor of the US National Security Council Bruce Riedel.On Capitol Hill, Hasan met senators Tom Harkin, Brown Back and Tom Davies, he said here today.``I urged them to exercise their moral authority to make sure that Sharif receives a free and fair trial by an independent civil court in Pakistan," he said.He said that of late he has been receiving threats from various indirect sources to stop his activities at once, otherwise his family would have to face dire consequences in Pakistan.``I want to make this very clear that my efforts are not political at all. My objectives are to ensure a fair trial for my father and release of my family from illegal detention," he said.
