Nawaz shifted to Kot Lakhpat Jail

Ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who was convicted on Monday by an accountability court in Al-Azizia corruption reference and sentenced for seven years in jail along with a fine of Rs 1.5 billion and $25 million, was shifted from Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail to Lahore's Kot Lakhpat Jail amid tight security on Tuesday.
Under a strict security blanket, Nawaz was flown to Lahore via a chartered flight from Nur Khan Air Base in Islamabad. The Punjab government had put in place stringent security measures before the arrival of Nawaz by deputing Rangers at police check posts established on the route to the prison.
After the verdict, the Punjab government had on Monday approved the provision of "better class" barrack for Sharif under which he would be entitled to have a mattress, a study table and chair in addition to a TV set and newspapers.
Prior to the arrival of Nawaz's cavalcade at the Kot Lakhpat Jail, a large number of party workers and supporters led by PML-N Lahore President Pervaiz Malik had gathered outside the jail to show their support for the ousted prime minister.
When police restrained the supporters from moving towards the jail, minor scuffle took place which resulted in injuries to some party workers. The PML-N leaders alleged that the police resorted to baton charge the peaceful protestors when they reached there to express solidarity with their supreme leader.
The activists and workers also sliced a cake to mark the 69th birthday of Nawaz Sharif after they were not allowed to enter the jail. The provincial secretariats of the PML-N also celebrated their supreme leader's birthday along with Christmas celebrations and the commemoration of Quaid-e-Azam's birthday.
Speaking on the occasion, Pervaiz Malik said they believed in the rule of law but their party workers were tortured by the police. "We strongly condemn the baton charge on our party workers."
According to sources, the "better class" barrack was prepared on Sunday night before the verdict against Nawaz Sharif was finally announced. They added that the barrack of Nawaz is close to that of Shahbaz Sharif.
After the conviction, Sharif's lead counsel Khuwaja Haris had sought a court order to shift Nawaz to Kot Lakhpat Jail instead of Adiala. The prosecution, however, opposed the application arguing that Adiala Jail had been notified by the federal government for imprisoning convicts of Islamabad courts but the judge accepted Nawaz's plea and said that since he had convicted him and was sending him to jail, he could make the decision at his own discretion.
Accountability Court Judge Arshad Malik while announcing the judgment had ruled that there was sufficient evidence that connected Sharif with the charges as "the accused has failed to discharge burden of proof. Therefore, I convict him under Section 9(a) (5) of the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO), 1999" in the Al-Azizia reference. This was second conviction of the former premier this year as he had been awarded 10 years imprisonment in the Avenfield Apartments reference in July also.