Federal cabinet approves open trial of Nawaz, Maryam in Al-Azizia, Flagship references
The cabinet meeting was chaired by Caretaker Prime Minister Nasirul Mulk.
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – The federal cabinet on Wednesday approved to withdraw the notification pertaining to ousted premier Nawaz Sharif and her daughter Maryam’s jail trial in Al-Azizia and Flagship references.
The development came following the interim government’s major decision to conduct hearing of the references, filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in line with the Supreme Court judgment in Panama Papers case, in open court.
The cabinet meeting chaired by Caretaker Prime Minister Nasirul Mulk took a nine-point agenda into consideration.
The session approved the withdrawal of notification issued on July 13 maintaining that Nawaz will undergo jail trial in references filed against him.
Know More: Sharif family’s appeals: IHC issues notice to NAB, summons record of Avenfield case
The agenda also included improvement of law and order situation in the country, salary deduction of government employees for the construction of dams and withdrawal of OGDCL and PPL’s directors’ nomination approval.
Interim Information minister maintained that the venue of NAB court will be replaced over security threats.
What is Open Court?
Public trial or open trial is a trial open to public, as opposed to the secret trial. Common law requires a trial in open court; "open court" means a court to which the public has a right to be admitted. This term may mean either a court that has been formally convened and declared open for the transaction of its proper judicial business or a court that is freely open to spectators.
According to senior anchorperson legal expert, Habib Akram, "open court is the conduct of judicial proceedings in the presence of the public. In some cases the public is prohibited from witnessing the hearing since the proceedings are carried out inside the chambers of the respective judge. However, since the Nawaz Sharif case is a high profile one, the venue of the court has been changed, at the last minute, to inside the Jail where media reporting would be a very difficult task."
Convicted and sentenced
It is to be mentioned here that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz and Captain Safdar were convicted and sentenced to prison in absentia for ten years, seven years and one year respectively, in Avenfield verdict that is likely to further disrupt an already chaotic campaign for national elections this month.
Maryam Nawaz and Captain (r) Safdar, who were candidates for the forthcoming general elections were also disqualified from contesting elections for 10 years each.
The sentence and a fine of 8 million pounds, or $10.6 million, came almost a year after Supreme Court removed Sharif from office and less than five months after the court barred him from holding office for life.
Nawaz Sharif was convicted under section 9(a)(5) of the NAB ordinance.
The case stemmed from the Panama Papers leak that disclosed expensive and undeclared property owned by the Sharif family in London.
Arrested and shifted to Adiala Jail
Safdar was arrested by the NAB authoritites in Rawalpindi on July 9 while Nawaz Sharif and Maryam were taken into custody by the officials few minutes after their flight landed at Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport on Friday night and shifted to Adiala Jail.
Accountability Court Judge Muhammad Bashir, who was present in the jail, issued warrants for imprisonment for Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz. A team of doctors conducted the medical checkup of both the accused and declared them fit.
Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz were then shifted to B-Class facility in Adiala Jail.
