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Charges against Nawaz, others framed in plane case

RECORDER REPORT

KARACHI: The Anti-Terrorism Court Judge, Rehmat Hussain Jafferi, on Wednesday framed charges against the main accused, deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif, and six co-accused, in the October 12 plane conspiracy case, and adjourned the hearing to Wednesday, (January 26, 2000).

Judge Jafferi read out the charges to the accused, who were standing, and asked them whether they wanted to plead guilty. The accused pleaded not guilty.

With the consent of the prosecution, the court dropped allegations of waging war against Pakistan earlier levelled against the accused.

At this stage addressing the court, Nawaz Sharif said that they had not hijacked the plane. "Instead my government had been hijacked by Gen. Pervez Musharraf. He has committed these offences instead of me." Nawaz uttered these words despite requests for restraint made by the defence and the prosecution counsel.

Later briefly talking to journalists, Nawaz said all the charges were baseless and fabricated, illegal and unconstitutional.

The accused have been charged with offences under 365 PPC (abduction), 402 PPC (hijacking), 324 PPC (attempt to murder),109 PPC (abatement), 114 PPC (instigation), 7 (2) (Terrorism) of Anti-Terrorism Act.

The court dropped four of the charges under 120-B, 121, 122, and 123 PPC (waging war against Pakistan).

The court observed that recordings, audio/video cassettes, were not part of evidence for framing the charges; therefore, it was not necessary to wait for the supply of copies of the cassettes/spools. to the defence.

However, later in the day the prosecution supplied 26 audio copies and one video to the defence counsel.

The accused in the plane conspiracy case are: deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his brother and former chief minister of the Punjab Shahbaz Sharif, former adviser to prime minister on Sindh affairs Syed Ghous Ali Shah, former chief of the Ehtesab Bureau Saifur Rehman, former chairman of PIA Khaqan Abbasi, former principal secretary to prime minister Saeed Mehdi, and former IGP Sindh Rana Maqbool Ahmed they were brought to the court in tight security at about 8:15 a.m. The proceedings of the court ended at about 11:30 a.m.

The Advocate General of Sindh, Raja Qureshi, talking to press said the court could summon Chief Executive Gen. Pervez Musharraf in the conspiracy case if the defence lawyers so requested the court.

"No one is above the law," the AG said and added that it was up to the court to decide on such a request if received.

Qureshi said the prosecution would produce 53 witnesses and an initial list of 10 prosecution witnesses had already been given to the defence.

He said under the ATA the court had to complete the hearing of a case within seven days, but it was not mandatory.

He said on charges of hijacking, kidnapping and terrorism the court could award death sentence, whereas, the punishment under section 324 (attempt to murder) was life imprisonment.