Pak court adjourns cases against Sharif

Islamabad, Aug 25: A Pakistani anti-graft court adjourned today a hearing into corruption charges against exiled former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, saying he should attend the proceedings in person.

The court last week accepted a government request to re-open corruption cases against Sharif, ousted in a 1999 coup and later sent into exile by army chief, and now president, General Pervez Musharraf.

The Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that Sharif should be allowed to return. He said he would be back soon to contest elections in a move analysts say would complicate Musharraf's expected bid for another term in office.

''The Supreme Court has allowed the accused person to come back ... therefore, this court will have to wait until the accused person reaches Pakistan,'' a deputy attorney general, Zulifqar Bhutta, told Reuters.

The next hearing was set for Sept 7, although Sharif, who has vowed to oppose Musharraf's attempt to secure another term as president, has not said when he would return.

After the 1999 coup, Sharif was convicted of graft and given a life sentence for hijacking.

The hijacking charge related to his refusal to allow landing rights to an airliner bringing Musharraf back from Sri Lanka, despite it being short of fuel. The army quickly launched a coup to save its chief.

The government said Sharif was allowed to go into exile in 2000 after agreeing to stay out of the country for 10 years. But he denied any such agreement and early this month petitioned the Supreme Court to clear the way for his return.

Following the court ruling that Sharif had an ''inalienable right'' to come back, Attorney General Malik Abdul Qayyum said if the agreement on the 10-year exile was considered void, Sharif could face the prison term he avoided by leaving.

REUTERS>