ISLAMABAD : Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was given sufficient time and opportunities to provide necessary medical reports to corroborate his claims of undergoing treatment in London but he failed to do so.

This was stated in a report submitted in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) by the Punjab government today.

It stated that on Feb 25, the provincial cabinet discussed the matter at length and after considering the opinion of a special medical board, the recommendations of a committee formed to look into the matter, and relevant record as well as the law, it was decided that the circumstances of the case do not merit the concession of continued suspension of Sharif’s sentence.

“Furthermore, the cabinet observed that sufficient time and opportunities were afforded to the applicant to establish continuation of his indisposition, but the applicant was unable to provide required necessary medical reports to establish such medical condition,” the report said.

On Sept 10, the Islamabad High Court had ruled that it will decide on September 15 whether former prime minister Nawaz Sharif will get any relief or not.

A two-judge bench comprising Justice Aamir Farooq and Mohsin Akhtar Kayani heard appeals filed by the PML-N supremo against his conviction in the Al-Azizia and Avenfield cases.

The bench questioned how can the court proceed with his plea without his surrendering before it and directed both his lawyer Khawaja Haris and the NAB prosecutor to forward their arguments in this regard on next hearing.

Islamabad

14 September 2020

A senior Indian diplomat was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today to register Pakistan’s strong protest over ceasefire violations by the Indian occupation forces along the Line of Control (LoC) on the night of 13th September 2020, resulting in serious injuries to three innocent civilians.

Due to indiscriminate and unprovoked firing by the Indian occupation forces in Hotspring Sector of the LoC, 27 year old Naema Akhtar d/o Muhammad Siddique; 24 year old Zaeen Akhtar d/o Muhammad Siddique; and 16 year old Arbaz Ali S/o Muhammad Habib, residents of Sehra Village, sustained serious injuries.

The Indian occupation forces along the LoC and the Working Boundary (WB) have been continuously targeting civilian populated areas with artillery fire, heavy-caliber mortars and automatic weapons. This year, India has committed 2245 ceasefire violations to date, resulting in 18 shahadats and serious injuries to 180 innocent civilians.

Condemning the deplorable targeting of innocent civilians by the Indian occupation forces, it was underscored that such senseless acts are in clear violation of the 2003 Ceasefire Understanding, and are also against all established humanitarian norms and professional military conduct. These egregious violations of international law reflect consistent Indian attempts to escalate the situation along the LoC and are a threat to regional peace and security. It was added that by raising tensions along the LoC and the WB, India cannot divert attention from the grave human rights situation in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IIOJK).

Indian side was called upon to respect the 2003 Ceasefire Understanding, investigate this and other such incidents of deliberate ceasefire violations and maintain peace along the LoC and the WB. The Indian side was also urged to allow the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) to play its mandated role as per the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolutions.

KARACHI : The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Monday barred the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) from carrying out raids on the residences of Sindh Irrigation Minister Sohail Anwar Siyal and his relatives.

A two-judge bench of the high court gave this restraining order while hearing bail petitions of the PPP minister and others.  The court extended the interim bail granted to him as well as Zafar Siyal and Jameel Soomro until November 12 and sought a progress report from the bureau on its ongoing inquiry against them.

The bench observed that the national graft buster doesn’t have powers to raid houses without a search warrant, nor can it persecute women by conducting raids without any plausible reason.

Justice KK Agha said NAB officials ought to be accompanied by female police officers during a house raid.

A counsel for the PPP minister complained to the judges that officials of the bureau raided the residences of his client’s father, late uncle, and other relatives without any search warrant and harassed their female family members.

The NAB prosecutor informed that the corruption watchdog has completed the assets beyond means inquiry against Sohail Anwar Siyal but it is yet to calculate the value of his properties. He sought time to complete the inquiry.

LAHORE : Medical reports of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Hamza Shehbaz Sharif has been presented before an accountability court of Lahore hearing money laundering case against Shehbaz Sharif family on Monday.

According to PML-N leader Atta Tarar, Hamza tested positive for the coronavirus on Sunday.

The hearing was conducted by Accountability Court Judge Jawadul Hassan, in which PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif appeared before the court.Doctor Muhammad Afzal Khan of Kot Lakhpat Jail presented medical reports of Hamza Shehbaz and stated that the PML-N stalwart will undergo another coronavirus test.

Another accused in the case, Javeria Ali, daughter of Shehbaz Sharif, in her plea stated that she met with her brother, a day ago in the jail and requested the court to grant her exemption from court appearance as her brother has contracted coronavirus.

The court granted exemption from court appearance to Hamza Shehbaz and his sister Javeria Ali over medical grounds.

Meanwhile, the copies of the reference were also distributed among the accused in the case. Later, the court adjourned the hearing of the case till September 29.

On Aug 17, the national graft buster filed Rs7 billion money laundering and assets beyond means reference against the Shehbaz family, including his sons, Punjab Assembly Opposition Leader Hamza Shehbaz and Suleman Shehbaz, wife Nusrat Shehbaz and others.