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SC clears Nawaz in plane hijacking case

* President Asif Zardari, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani congratulate Nawaz Sharif on acquittal

By Masood Rehman

ISLAMABAD: A five-member larger bench of the Supreme Court (SC) on Friday acquitted Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif of a nine-year-old plane hijacking conviction, setting aside the Sindh High Court (SHC) verdict.

The bench, comprising Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani, Justice Nasirul Mulk, Justice Muhammad Moosa K Leghari, Justice Sheikh Hakim Ali and Justice Ghulam Rabbani, announced the verdict, proclaiming: “Looking at the case from any angle, the charge of hijacking, attempt to hijack or terrorism does not stand established against the petitioner, thus his conviction and sentence is set aside and he is acquitted.”

Nawaz was sentenced in 2000 to two life terms on charges of hijacking and terrorism related to allegations that he prevented an airliner carrying General (r) Musharraf back from Sri Lanka from landing at Karachi. The prosecution had claimed the aircraft had landed with a few minutes of fuel left at another airport after army intervention.

The court also allowed the filing of Nawaz’s appeal beyond the prescribed 30 days, citing there was sufficient cause for the delay.

Congratulations: President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani both congratulated Nawaz on his acquittal, APP reported. In a statement, the president said that the verdict further opened the door to Nawaz for electoral politics, was a step in the direction of ensuring a level playing field to all political leaders and would strengthen the democratic process.

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