Pak. court acquits former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in 37-year-old ‘bribe’ case
The Hindu
A Pakistani accountability court has acquitted former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in a 37-year-old case alleging that he transferred a “precious state land” here in the capital of Punjab province to one of the country’s leading media barons as a “bribe”.
A Pakistani accountability court has acquitted former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in a 37-year-old case alleging that he transferred a “precious state land” here in the capital of Punjab province to one of the country’s leading media barons as a “bribe”.
Saturday's ruling came days after the federal government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the younger brother of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif, made crucial amendments to laws to lift the life-long ban on politicians.
The 73-year-old three-time former Prime Minister’s acquittal may allow him to contest and lead PML-N in the next general election scheduled later this year.
Mr. Nawaz Sharif was disqualified in 2017 by the Supreme Court. In 2018, he became ineligible to hold public office for life after a Supreme Court verdict in the Panama Papers case.
“An Accountability Court in Lahore acquitted three-time premier Nawaz Sharif in a case related to illegal transfer of 54-kanal (6.75 acres) precious state land to Jang/Geo media group owner Mir Shakil-ur-Rehman in Lahore while he was the chief minister of Punjab 37 years ago,” a court official told PTI.
“Judge Rao Abdul Jabbar acquitted him after the country’s anti-graft body (National Accountability Bureau) informed the court that after recent amendments to its law (by the Shehbaz Sharif-led coalition government), the case does not fall in its preview,” the official said.
The former Prime Minister's lawyer contended that NAB had malicious intentions while filing the case against his client, who had no involvement in plot allotment.
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