Nawaz, Maryam to be imprisoned in Kot Lakhpat or Adiala jail: sources

LAHORE: Following Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz’s conviction in Avenfield reference on Friday, authorities at Central Jail Kot Lakhpat Lahore and Adiala Jail Rawalpindi are finalising arrangements for the imprisonment of the former prime minister and his daughter at either of the two prisons.

Nawaz was sentenced to a total of 11 years in prison and slapped a £8 million fine, while Maryam was sentenced to eight years with a £2 million fine for corrupt practices linked to the family´s purchase of the upscale London flats.

According to jail sources, the two are likely to serve their sentences at either Kot Lakhpat or Adiala jail, where they could be classified as ‘B-class’ prisoners if their living quarter is declared to be a ‘sub-jail’.

According to prison regulations, prisoners can be placed in a ‘sub-jail’ if they face a threat to their lives. Such ‘B-class’ prisoners are allowed to wear regular clothes rather than the standard prison uniforms. They can also arrange for their meals to be brought to them from their homes, and can cook themselves as well.

Under Rule 245 of the prison regulations, two prisoners can be placed at the service of a former prime minister. ‘B-class’ prisoners can also have access to TV, air-conditioner, and newspapers with the permission of the interior secretary.

Along with the prison sentences, Maryam was also disqualified from contesting the elections. Her husband and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz lawmaker Captain (retd) Mohammad Safdar was handed a year in jail.

Without setting a date, Nawaz said he would return to Pakistan from London where he is tending to his wife, Kulsoom, who is being treated for cancer and is on life-support after suffering a heart attack last month.

"As soon as she gains consciousness, and I talk to her, I will go back," Nawaz told media in London after the verdict. "I will continue my struggle even in the jail.”

Nawaz and Maryam would face arrest on arrival in Pakistan just before the election, in which his party is in a tight race with Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.

According to National Accountability Bureau sources, the anti-graft body has been issued directives to arrest the father-daughter duo from the airport after they return to the country.

NAB has also decided to contact the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police to arrest Capt (retd) Safdar, sources said.