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He
also ordered confiscation of his property and heavy fines, in
addition to the compensation of a sum close to 40,000 U.S. dollars
to be distributed among the passengers of the aircraft.
Six
others accused in the conspiracy, including Sharif's brother who
was then the chief minister of Punjab, were acquitted as the
charges against them were not proved in the court.
The
reactions to the verdict were mixed. Sharif described the verdict
as "engineered" and a tactic of the "illegal
government" to discredit him while his wife Kulsoom observed
it as the outcome of a personal vendetta by the military regime.
Welcoming Sharif's escape from a death sentence, his political
archrival Benazir Bhutto of Pakistan People's Party called the
verdict a setback for the military. The members of Sharif's
political party, Pakistan Muslim League, expressed shock and
disappointment, however, indicating that they will not take to
street for demonstrations.
Like
in Pakistan, the verdict also summoned mixed international
reactions. The United States has expressed relief and hope that
the appeal process will be fair and transparent. Britain was
"disturbed" by a number of its aspects, one being the
inclusion of hijacking in the anti-terrorist laws after the
alleged event, and the questionable judicial climate given the
forced oaths of allegiances for the senior judiciary. The
15-member European Union said the organization will closely follow
the appeal process against the sentence which will go to the
Supreme Court. The Indian government, which was earlier approached
by none other than Sharif's own son to help save his father's
life, has declined to comment on the sentence.
The
reports of The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and the
Boston Globe, citing direct involvement of President Clinton
against the death sentence, have provoked a mute response from the
US Department of State, and noisy denials from the Pakistani
officials.
The
mood on the streets of Karachi and other major cities of Pakistan
has generally stayed calm which is not being attributed to the
tight security by police, and paramilitary personnel around the
time of the verdict. People in general have heaved sighs of relief
and have expressed satisfaction with the verdict. Moreover, they
are asking, what is next?
The
appeal process has already begun in the high court of the province
of Sind, and if unsuccessful, will go to the Supreme Court of
Pakistan, the highest court of the country. Even if the decision
is reversed in one of the two available appeal opportunities,
Sharif's political career faces a certain jeopardy due to a
seven-year automatic ban on his political activities as a
consequence of the verdict.
But
this is certainly not the drop scene of the Nawaz Sharif drama.
Three more cases against him have been compiled and sent to the
court by the National Accountability Bureau on charges of
corruption and misrule, which could lead to multiple arrests of
the members of his family and party. The list of these charges
include investigations of the family and its business assets,
kickbacks in business contracts, blatant misuse of authority and
influence, massive defaults of bank loans, tax evasion, and money
laundering.
While
the international observers are watching with interest for the
fairness of the appeal process, many people in Pakistan are
anxiously waiting for justice against what they call “a corrupt
ruler”, who, according to them, unfairly siphoned public
resources, and inflicted a heavy blow to the economy of the
impoverished nation and their trust in him.
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