LAHORE/Karachi - Political leaders and lawyers have expressed mixed reaction over the Islamabad High Court decision to suspend Sharifs’ sentence and their release on bail on Wednesday.
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said: “The decision comes as a relief for the Sharif family. After Begum Kulsoom Nawaz’s untimely death, the Sharif family was going through testing times”.
The PPP chairman said, “People’s party and Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto fought for the independence of judiciary and were an integral part of this important movement. The PPP has also suffered at the hands of judicial verdicts but never disrespected the courts.”
Chairman PPP said, “We cannot comment on the legal aspects of this verdict as courts are yet to decide on the appeals.”
He added: “We believe that our courts should not seem to be seen as part of any political victimisation. Rule of law and independence of judiciary are essential for any democratic system to thrive.”
Former Supreme Court Bar Association president Ali Ahmed Kurd described the Islamabad High Court’s verdict in consonance with the law, as a result of which judiciary’s image in public would improve.
Giving his reaction over the brief decision, he said the impugned order of the accountability court had many flaws.
He said though the former prime minister, his daughter and son-in-law had been given bail, the main appeal was still pending.
Former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said it was the day of victory of the truth. No corruption allegation could be made against Mian Nawaz Sharif, he said, adding that nobody could answer the accusations made against the PML-N supremo.
PTI Senator Faisal Javed said the IHC had only suspended the sentence and there were still two references pending against the former prime minister.
The suspension of sentence, he argued, did not alter Mr Sharif’s status as a convict. He said the former prime minister and his daughter and son-in-law had been convicted only after evidence had been presented against them.
In his opinion the former premier could have to go once again to Adiala Jail.
Responding to a question, the PTI leader said the government would not interfere in whatever future course was decided by the NAB.
Advocate Hassan Raza was of the opinion that observations periodically given by the IHC bench during the hearing of the appeal gave a clear impression that the judges thought the impugned verdict had many flaws. In such a situation, he said, the bench was left with no option but to come with the decision that it announced on Wednesday.
To a question, he said it was NAB’s responsibility to collect flawless evidence against the accused.
He said the NAB had the right to challenge the IHC verdict before the apex court.
Former NAB Prosecutor Raja Amer Abbas said the NAB could challenge the verdict in the Supreme Court.
He said bail granted to the accused was their right. He said replies given during the proceedings had no relation with the questions asked.
Justice (retd) Nasira Javed Iqbal said the time consumed to grant bail to the accused was sufficient even to decide the main appeal.
According to her, there was no room for the suspension of sentence under the NAB law, but the court could use its discretionary powers under extraordinary circumstances.
She said the sentence of a person awarded 11 years in jail could not be suspended. “We’ll have to see on what basis the court suspended it”, she said.