Framing of charges delayed

ISLAMABAD, Dec 13 (PTI) — A dispute over handing over audio and video evidences to the defence today delayed framing of charges against Mr Nawaz Sharif, his brother and five others in the plane hijacking case, even as the deposed Pakistan Premier declared that the army regime had “no case” against them.

Karachi anti-terrorism court judge Shabir Ahmad, before whom all accused were produced, adjourned the case till Monday next when he ordered both sides to bring voice and recording experts to examine whether the key audio and video evidences could be given to the defence.

On December 8 the prosecution chargesheeted Mr Sharif, his brother Shahbaz and others for treason, murder and hijacking.

The judge then had ordered the prosecution to hand over to the defence copies of all tapes, which reportedly contained conversation between the pilot and the control tower when a PIA plane carrying army chief Pervez Musharraf was not allowed to land at Karachi airport on October 12, the day Mr Sharif was ousted in a military coup.

However, the prosecution next day expressed its unwillingness to do so saying that it would be violative of international conventions and would result in embarrassment to Pakistan’s civil aviation authority internationally.

While objecting to the stand of the prosecution, the defence today raised doubts about authenticity of the tapes.

Mr Sharif, after emerging from an armoured personnel carrier amid heavy security, told reporters outside the court that the government had no case against him and “they are at the dead-end”.

“The government lawyers have no case we know and the lawyers community knows. What is the reality of this case? My opinion is that it’s a made-up-case, a concocted case”, Mr Sharif said waving to a small crowd outside the court.

Asserting that government lawyers were confused on how to conduct the case he said, “The government and its lawyers do not know how to conduct the case they have brought up.”

When asked whether he was confident of being exonerated he replied in the affirmative.

“The sword of the Chief Executive and the government is hanging over everything,” Mr Sharif said. “There is no case, there is no doubt in my mind about that. Nothing happened. The plane (of General Musharraf) landed later than the scheduled time.”

Mr Sharif also criticised General Musharraf saying, “He has imposed his own personal agenda on the masses and they are already suffering.”

His wife, Kulsoom, reciting verses from the Koran said, “It is sad the way they are treating my husband who is the elected Prime Minister and not a convict.”

“But I am very much optimistic that bad times will be over and we will be again together. Nobody can separate us not even these fake charges,” she said.

Pak freezes Taliban funds

KARACHI, Dec 13 (Reuters) — Pakistan’s Central Bank said today it had asked all banks in the country to freeze funds of Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban movement in accordance with U.N. sanctions.

“You are advised to take necessary action to freeze funds of the nature mentioned in the U.N. Security Council Resolution,” a State Bank of Pakistan circular addressed to the banks said.

The order follows a statement by a Foreign Ministry official last week that Islamabad had ordered the closure of two small Afghan banks operating in the Pakistani town of Peshawar which lies close to the Afghan border.

The U.S.-inspired aviation and financial sanctions were imposed by the U.N. Security Council last month because of the Taliban’s refusal to hand over Saudi-born terrorism suspect Osama bin Laden.

Washington accuses Bin Laden of masterminding the bombing of its embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in August last year, killing more than 200. He has denied the charges.