Plea for publication of proclamation against Sharif rejected

Islamabad, Oct 20 (IANS) The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has dismissed a petition filed by the federal government seeking the publication of proclamation against former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in two UK newspapers.An IHC division bench heard the petition on Monday, reports Dawn news.Additional Attorney General Tariq Mehmood Khokhar argued that since Sharif was in London, the proclamation issued in Al-Azizia and Avenfield properties corruption references should be published in The Guardian and Daily Telegraph newspapers.But IHC turned down the request since the legal requirements of issuance of proclamation had been fulfilled, there was no need to publish the same in British newspapers.In July 2018, an ccountability court judge convicted Sharif in the Avenfield properties reference and sentenced him to 10 years in prison.In December 2018, the former premier was convicted in the Al-Azizia Steel Mills reference and sentenced him to seven years in prison.Monday's development came after the IHC last week had asked former Sharif to appear before it by November 24 to avoid being declared a proclaimed offender.
--IANS ksk/