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Nawaz Sharif loses appeal on hijacking conviction
The provincial Sindh High Court on Monday upheld former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif`s conviction on a hijacking charge and accompanying life sentence, but overturned the guilty verdict on a charge of terrorism.
The provincial Sindh High Court
on Monday upheld former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif`s conviction on a hijacking charge and accompanying life sentence, but overturned the guilty verdict on a charge of terrorism.
The panel of three judges also denied a prosecution appeal which sought the death penalty for Sharif rather than the life sentence. Sharif would appeal to the Supreme Court, his last avenue of appeal, said Zafar Ali Shah, a former lawmaker of Sharif`s Pakistan Muslim League.
“Certainly we will go to the Supreme Court,” He said.
Sharif was appealing a conviction on April 6 on terrorism and hijacking charges. Then he was sentenced by a special anti-terrorist court, set up during his regime, to two concurrent life terms. One of the two terms was overturned by the provincial Sindh High Court.
A life sentence in Pakistan is a minimum of 25 years in jail.
Meanwhile the prosecution had appealed the jail term demanding the death penalty, which is allowed under the law.
It wasn`t immediately clear whether the prosecution would pursue their demand for the death penalty to the Supreme Court.
The charges against Sharif stem from an incident on October 12 last, the day the army seized power in Pakistan, throwing out Sharif`s elected government and putting the former prime minister in jail.
Bureau Report
The panel of three judges also denied a prosecution appeal which sought the death penalty for Sharif rather than the life sentence. Sharif would appeal to the Supreme Court, his last avenue of appeal, said Zafar Ali Shah, a former lawmaker of Sharif`s Pakistan Muslim League.
“Certainly we will go to the Supreme Court,” He said.
Sharif was appealing a conviction on April 6 on terrorism and hijacking charges. Then he was sentenced by a special anti-terrorist court, set up during his regime, to two concurrent life terms. One of the two terms was overturned by the provincial Sindh High Court.
A life sentence in Pakistan is a minimum of 25 years in jail.
Meanwhile the prosecution had appealed the jail term demanding the death penalty, which is allowed under the law.
It wasn`t immediately clear whether the prosecution would pursue their demand for the death penalty to the Supreme Court.
The charges against Sharif stem from an incident on October 12 last, the day the army seized power in Pakistan, throwing out Sharif`s elected government and putting the former prime minister in jail.
Bureau Report