ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Thursday regretted the Islamabad High Court (IHC)’s decision of granting bail to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, saying the bail to a “convicted absconder” was approved within “420” seconds or seven minutes, which is tantamount to making a mockery of justice.
Speaking at a presser, Shoaib Shaheen, the spokesman for incarcerated PTI Chairman Imran Khan, strongly reacted to the IHC decision which granted protective bail to Sharif in Avenfield and Al-Azizia references till October 24, saying “the bail to a convict shows how fair and impartial our judges are.”
“Some four years back, Nawaz Sharif had fled the country by submitting fake medical reports under a deal, and today the law of the land was trampled to save an absconder and a convict. He [Sharif] was not fit to come back for the last four years, but today, a convict was given protective bail within seven minutes or 420 seconds which is a new precedent,” he regretted.
Citing a verdict of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, he said that no bail could be given to a convict unless and until he surrenders before the jail authorities and the police, adding the court observed the petition was not maintainable, but the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) plainly said it had no objection over grant of protective bail to a convict.
He contended there existed no protective bail for a convict, as an absconder had to surrender before jail authorities first and then he could apply for bail, adding the way NAB was playing the role of a mediator was beyond comprehension.
He also came down hard on Dr Faisal, Pakistan’s High Commissioner to the UK, saying “a civil servant [Pakistan HC] is giving official protocol to a convict wanted by the state”, adding “he [HC] is reminding him the [party] narrative, which he could not without the blessings of the caretaker setup and the GHQ [general headquarters]”.
Terming the official protocol given to Sharif by Pakistan HC, he demanded the caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar to take strict possible action against Dr Faisal, saying it was a “misconduct” on part of the high commissioner.
He continued that there was no objection over the power of attorney for a convict [Sharif], while arrest warrants were issued in a case against Imran Khan for hardly a 24-hour delay, while a convict was being facilitated by the state under “London Plan”.
Shaheen said that all the state institutions were involved in executing the London Plan, adding the only hope was judiciary with a few exception as there were still impartial judges.
He once again expressed a lack of confidence in IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq, saying “We’ve already expressed no trust in him, but still all the cases against Imran Khan are fixed before him, which is quite unfortunate.”
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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