Nawaz readies legal team for smooth return

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League (PMLN) Quaid and former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has assigned former federal law and justice minister and eminent jurist Senator Azam Nazir Tarrar to work out legal procedures for ensuring his smooth return home from London next month.

Well-placed sources told The News here Saturday that Azam Tarrar, who had been contesting the cases of PMLN leaders for a number of years before joining active politics and becoming a member of Senate, is in London and had a marathon meeting with the PML-N Quaid where PMLN President and former Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was also present. Shehbaz and Azam Nazir are returning home early this week.

Sources said that former Attorney General of Pakistan Irfan Qadir Advocate, who served as Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) with the status of full federal minister in the coalition government, would also be part of the legal team that will execute follow up actions. Irfan Qadir had served as a judge of the High Court (IHC) and he was the leading counsel that contested the case in Islamabad High Court where PMLN Chief Organiser Maryam Nawaz Sharif was honourably acquitted on September 29, 2022 in the case where she was earlier sentenced by a trial court. The court overturned a corruption conviction against her and her husband, Muhammad Safdar. The acquittal by the IHC ensured the daughter of three-time former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was eligible to run for election. Maryam Nawaz, who is in Islamabad would be leaving for London for brief visit later this week.

In the meanwhile, sources said that the team of counsel would take the ultimate decision on the bail of Nawaz Sharif after consultations this week but it has been hinted that the Islamabad High court would be preferred for submitting a petition since the case for appeal and bail was pending here when the former Prime Minister had to proceed to the United Kingdom for treatment about four years ago. Another prominent lawyer, Amjad Pervez Advocate, would also be among the counsel who spearhead the legal team. PMLN leader and former SAPM Ataullah Tarrar will also be joining the legal team. Interestingly, a proposal to acquire services of famous lawyer Khwaja Haaris has been discarded for follow up actions, who contested the cases of Nawaz Sharif in the accountability court and didn’t prove successful. Later, Khawaja Haris provided his legal services to the PTI chairman in the case in which he too was convicted.

Sources said that the services of the Khawaja were available but the proposal was turned down after discussion. The final line-up of the legal team would be determined by Shehbaz Sharif this week on returning Lahore from London, sources added.