SC acquits Nawaz in plane hijacking case,
Supreme Court Friday overturned convictions against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif for plane hijacking and terrorism, two months after reversing a ban on the opposition leader’s holding office.
Sharif was convicted of “hijacking” a commercial jet carrying Pervez Musharraf after denying the aircraft landing rights on October 12, 1999 as Pakistan was convulsed by a coup that swept Musharraf to power.
The plane eventually landed and Musharraf, who was then army chief of staff, seized control of the nuclear armed nation. “Looking at the case from any angle — the charge of hijacking, attempt to hijack or terrorism does not stand established against the petitioner,” the Supreme Court ruled on a petition filed by Sharif. The five-judge court headed by Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani heard the petition in June, but initially reserved judgement. “The conviction and sentence of the appellant are set aside and he is acquitted,” said the order, written in English. The “petitioner had neither used force nor ordered its use and undisputedly no deceitful means were used.” The opposition Pakistan Muslim League-N party headed by Sharif, who has become the most popular politician in the country, welcomed the judgement. “A judgement given by a kangaroo court nine years ago has been nullified by an independent and sovereign apex court in the light of the constitution, law and evidence on record,” PML-N spokesman Siddique-ul-Farooq said. He said the party would now endeavour to bring former “dictator Pervez Musharraf to book and hold him accountable.” Friday’s order came almost two months after the Supreme Court overturned a ban on Sharif holding office, allowing the popular leader to contest elections in the politically turbulent nation. A court decision in February to disqualify Sharif and his politician brother Shahbaz Sharif sparked massive protests that plunged the nuclear-armed country into turmoil and unnerved its Western allies last March. Under Western pressure, the government agreed on March 16 to reinstate the popular chief justice, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, who was sacked by Musharraf and whose promised reinstatement the government had stalled. Nawaz Sharif was first elected prime minister in 1990 but was sacked three years later on corruption charges. He returned to power in 1997, but in 1999 was ousted in a coup by Musharraf, who brought criminal charges against him for hijacking, terrorism and attempted murder. Convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment on charges he said were politically motivated, Sharif retreated into exile in December 2000, returning to Pakistan in November 2007 with Musharraf’s agreement.
So Mr. Nawaz Sharif is acquitted, wonderful, not a single witness was called in the court, even the accused did not bother to appear in the court and the bench made the decision. It seems that some one else wrote the decision and the Supreme Court bench read it in the court. Another joke by our judiciary and an example of bleak justice.
I guess the next court decision will be waiving the restrictions for becoming Prime Minister third time as Nawaz Sharif needs it to become Prime Minister again.
Mr barajan – are you trying to say that the courts are still not providing justice. After 2 years long dovoted effort if our courts are still under pressure then I dont see any time when these courts will be free to decide. With due apology we as a nation are not willing to accept the transperancy in either case. Once the court declared him guilty then the courts were under army General called Mr Musharaff and people like you must have said that the courts decision is not transparent because of Miltary General pressure, that make sense at that time. But now the question is ” under whose pressure the courts are now”? Under Miltary, I dont think so, under Govt, hard to believe either. OR under Nawaz Shreef, I again would not agree to accept that because if our courts are not taking any influence from Miltary or Govt then how come are they influenced by oppostion party. It is hard to believe that the decision is still not on merit. We need to change our mentality of blaming courts, especaillay once they are not under any pressure or dictator and remeber these courts are now supported by 17 million people.
I personally feel that our Judiciary has now started functioning as an independent instituion. I respect your opinion but please lets do not blame courts, if this decision making you feel bad, please have courage to tolerate it and let time and history decide which decision was based on merit..