An accountability court in Lahore on Thursday issued the detailed verdict acquitting ex-premier Nawaz Sharif in a reference pertaining to the alleged illegal allotment of plots in 1986, saying that the record reflected that the PML-N supremo had “become the victim of political victimisation”.
The accountability court on June 24 acquitted former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in the plots allotment reference case. Accountability Judge Rao Abdul Jabbar announced the verdict after hearing arguments from the PML-N supremo’s legal team.
In the detailed verdict today, the accountability court observed that PML-N supremo had “become the victim of political victimisation” in the case.
According to the written verdict, an individual could only be declared proclaimed offender if the court was satisfied regarding the execution of warrants and fulfillment of all other formalities.
“In this case, the record is silent regarding who issued the warrants, publications or documents containing the material to inform the accused to appear before the court of law. This is a mandatory condition, otherwise, the entire proceedings become void and illegal,” stated the verdict.
“If the accused had already left the country before any notice, summon, warrant or proceedings were issued to appear before the court of law, then the entire proceedings become illegal and void ab-initio,” it added.
“The court’s decision to declare Nawaz a proclaimed offender in the case was not in line with the parameters settled and followed by the apex court,” reads the verdict.
The AC judge also directed NAB and revenue authorities to release the properties of Nawaz and the applicants in the case.
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had alleged that the former premier illegally allotted 54 plots each measuring one-kanal situated in Block-H, Johar Town when he was chief minister of Punjab.
It alleged the accused caused a loss of Rs143m to the national exchequer through the allotment of the land.
