By Muhammad Luqman
Pakistan’s anti-graft organization , National Accountability Bureau (NAB) arrested former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz on their voluntary return from London on Friday and sent them to prison in garrison town of Rawalpindi.
NAB Court had handed a 10 year in prison and 7 year to his daughter Maryam Nawaz in Avenfield Apartment Corruption case. His son in law, Capt (rtd) Muhammad Safdar has been awarded one year rigorous imprisonment.
Nawaz Sharif and Maryam were arrested shortly after their arrival at Lahore airport from London and were shifted to Islamabad via special aircraft.
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) team, awaiting the father-daughter duo at Allama Iqbal International Airport, arrested them after immigration process.
Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz arrived in Pakistan via Etihad Airways flight# EY243.
The plane landed at Allama Iqbal International Airport at 8:45pm, according to Geo TV.
Upon their arrival, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) team confiscated their passports.
Earlier, the ousted prime minister had released a video message ahead of his arrival in Pakistan, asking people to support him in his struggle which he said he is waging for the future of coming generations.
Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz were convicted in Avenfield reference last Friday by the accountability court. The Sharifs were in London to look after ailing Begum Kulsoom Nawaz, when they were awarded imprisonment in the corruption case.
Sharif’s son-in-law Capt (retd) Mohammad Safdar, who was awarded one-year jail term, has already been arrested and shifted to Adiala prison in Rawalpindi, the twin city of the capital Islamabad.
Three-times Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was ousted from the office on the orders of Pakistan’s apex court on July 28 last year after he was declared ineligible to hold any public office in Panama Papers Leaks case.
In eastern city of Lahore, the supporters of Nawaz Sharif’s political party, Pakistan Muslim League (N) took out a rally to welcome their leader. But they could not get a glimpse of Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz as they were not allowed to come out of the Lahore airport and arrested soon after they surrendered to the anti-graft officials. Hundreds of workers were arrested across Punjab province and later released on the orders of the Lahore High Court.
All the entry points of the metropolis were sealed by the forces on Friday to stop PML (N) supporters from coming from other parts of the country. Mobile Phone, Uber and Careem app-based services and mass transport system remained closed through out the day.
