Framing of charges against Sharif delayed

Framing of charges against Sharif delayed
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

ISLAMABAD, DECEMBER 13: The framing of charges against Nawaz Sharif, his brother and five others was delayed on Monday following a dispute over handing over audio and video evidences to the defence, even as the deposed Pakistan premier declared that the army regime had "no case" against them.

Karachi anti-terrorism court judge Shabir Ahmad, before whom all the accused were produced, adjourned the case till Monday next when he ordered both sides to bring voice and recording experts to examine whether the key audio and video evidences could be given to the defence. On December 8 the prosecution chargesheeted Sharif, his brother Shahbaz and others for treason, murder and hijacking.

The judge then had ordered the prosecution to hand over to the defence copies of all tapes, which reportedly contained conversation between the pilot and the control tower when a PIA plane carrying army chief Gen Pervez Musharraf was not allowed to land at Karachi airport on October 12, the day Sharif was ousted in a militarycoup.

However, the prosecution next day expressed its unwillingness to do so saying that it would be violative of international conventions and would result in embarrassment to Pakistan's civil aviation authority internationally.

While objecting to the stand of the prosecution, the defence on Monday raised doubts about authenticity of the tapes.

Sharif, after emerging from an armoured personnel carrier amidst heavy security, told reporters outside the court that the government has no case against him and "they are at the dead end".

"The government lawyers have no case we know and the lawyers community knows. What is the reality of this case? my opinion is that it's a made-up-case, a concocted case", Sharif said waving to a small crowd outside the court.

Asserting that government lawyers were confused on how to conduct the case he said "the government and its lawyers do not know how to conduct the case they have brought up." When asked whether he was confident of being exonerated he replied in theaffirmative.

"The sword of the chief executive and the government is hanging over everything," Sharif said. "There is no case, there is no doubt in my mind about that. Nothing happened. The plane (of Gen Musharraf) landed later than the scheduled time."

Sharif also criticised Gen Musharraf saying "he has imposed his own personal agenda on the masses and they are already suffering."

His wife, Kulsoom, reciting verses from the Koran said, "It is sad the way they are treating my husband who is the elected prime minister and not a convict." "But I am very much optimistic that bad times will be over and we will be again together. Nobody can separate us not even these fake charges," she said.

On a separate application the court on Monday also allowed radio and television facilities to Sharif inside Landhi jail in Karachi, where he has been kept with others.

Earlier, the court had ordered providing "A" class facility to Sharif.