Nawaz Sharif fails to surrender to jail authorities before cutoff time

LAHORE: Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday failed to surrender himself to jail authorities by the stipulated cutoff time as his bail expires today, ARY News reported.

Sharif, who was supposed to turn himself in to jail latest by 6:50 PM, came out of his residence at around 8:40 PM. Jail authorities, who had been waiting outside his residence to collect him, had left by that time after wait of several hours.

It was learnt that the lockup at Kot Lakhpat Jail, designated for Nawaz Sharif, was also sealed. Sources say jail authorities cannot take him in now that the cutoff time has been surpassed.

The jailers would now require a special permission from Punjab home department for admitting Nawaz into the prison, or it would be carried on to next day.

Despite this, Sharif set off for Kot Lakhpat Jail with his nephew Hamza Shehbaz driving his vehicle whereas his daughter Maryam seated on the front seat.

Earlier in the evening, jail authorities reached at Jati Umra to apprehend Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif as he himself did not surrender to jail officials following the expiry of his six-week bail in the Al-Azizia Steel Mills corruption reference.

The sources said that PML-N planned to use the event as a political show.

PML-N supremo was released from the jail on March 27 after the Supreme Court suspended his sentence in the Al-Azizia graft reference and granted him bail for medical treatment for six weeks.

Last week, the apex court had rejected a petition filed by Sharif seeking an extension in the bail.