FAZAL SHER & ALI HUSSAIN
ISLAMABAD: Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Friday accused Co-Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Asif Ali Zardari of maligning him with a view to “pleasing someone else.”
Talking to reporters inside the accountability court, Sharif said Zardari is making statements against him to please “someone else. He added. “Such statements should not be given at this point of time and all political parties need to be united.”
To a question about any new national reconciliation ordinance (NRO) or deal, Sharif said there is no ‘NRO deal’ happening between him and anyone else. The previous NRO occurred between the PPP and the President General Pervaiz Musharraf, he said, adding, “We never cut a deal or NRO, nor shall we it in future.”
To question about the independence of judiciary, the former prime minister said he supports an independent and strong judiciary but does not support a judiciary that creates “the doctrine of necessity for dictators.”
Answering a question regarding Islamabad High Court Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui’s plea to the Supreme Judicial Council for an open trial, Sharif said the country wound certainly move forward if open trials are conducted for everyone.
Replying to a question regarding rumors about the installation of a technocrat government, he said, “I have been hearing about the technocrat setup for the last 70 years. It can be someone’s wish but it is not going to happen.”
He further said that there is no conflict within the Sharif family. There is no conflict among the Sharifs. There will be no rift within us in future as well ”he added.
He said that people were always afraid of the month of March whenever the PML-N came into power.
Sharif reiterated that he was unable to said understand the cases made against him and his family. “Are these cases of corruption, kickbacks and corruption? Am I being punished for ending terrorism and load-shedding in Pakistan and bringing peace to Karachi?” asked the former prime minister.
Sharif and his daughter were sitting in the front row while Safdar sat in the row behind them.
When the proceedings began, Sharif’s counsel Khawaja Harris told the court that he has not received a detailed judgement of Islamabad High Court regarding clubbing of all references relating to Mayfair Properties London, establishment of Azizia Steel Company and Hill Metals Company and Flagship Investment.
To this, the judge said he wanted to go through the order of the court. Harris said that the copy of the order was yet to be received and pleaded the court to adjourn the proceeding till Tuesday so that the copy could be obtained from the IHC.
The judge said he had asked for providing the copy of the order and then the court went into recess for 15 minutes. When the court resumed after a short break, the court received it.
Sharif’s counsel pleaded the court to adjourn the hearing till Tuesday requesting that he needs time for preparation to argue on the application. To this the court adjourned the hearing of case till Nov 7.
Nawaz Sharif submitted a surety bond in two references as the court had issued bailable warrant against him on previous hearing.
The NAB prosecution team headed by NAB deputy prosecutor was also present in the court on the occasion.
PML-N leaders including Senator Pervaiz Rashid, Raja Zafarul Haq, Mushahidullah Khan, Daniyal Aziz, Talal Chaudhry and Marriyum Aurangzeb were also present in the court room.
Later, before leaving for Lahore along with his daughter Maryam Nawaz, the ousted prime minister also chaired an informal consultative meeting of the party leaders at Punjab House to discuss the accountability court’s proceedings as well as overall political situation of the country.
The meeting was attended by various ministers including Minister for States and Frontier Regions Lt Gen Abdul Qadir Baloch (retd), Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb, Maryam Nawaz, Pervaiz Rashid, Asif Kirmani and others.
Interestingly, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi did not hold any meeting with Nawaz Sharif after his return from London on Thursday. Prime Minister Abbasi and Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif held a meeting with him in London prior to his decision to appear before the accountability court.
