Orakzai further alleged in his petition, which was filed yesterday, that Sharif ordered the murder of his brother after a "political kickbacks deal" turned sour. The judge in question should be made a respondent in the case and stopped from performing his duties till the court gives its decision, he said.
"My brother was murdered because I went public with a kickbacks deal in 1993 and this annoyed Sharif and some senior PML-N leaders," Orakzai said.
The PML-N has dismissed the allegations. "This is a false and totally politically motivated accusation," said Ahsan Iqbal, the spokesman for the PML-N.
"This is only the latest in a series of recent accusations against Sharif. The presidency and hidden hands are trying to pressurise him into backing down on his demand for prosecuting former President Pervez Musharraf," Iqbal said.
Orakzai, who was a media consultant for Sharif in the early 1990s, said he had arranged a deal between Sharif's party, then known as the Pakistan Muslim League, and seven parliamentarians from the tribal areas to install the PML's candidate as speaker in the National Assembly.
"The deal involved the payment of Rs 17.5 million to the parliamentarians in return for their support for Sharif's candidate for the post of speaker. The party paid Rs 2.5 million each to four parliamentarians but reneged on the payment to the other three after the Pakistan People's Party candidate won the election," Orakzai claimed.
After that, Orakzai made the deal public and moved the apex court to take action against Sharif. The court accepted that the deal had taken place and Orakzai's actions led to awkward questions and embarrassment for Sharif, who had just started his second innings as premier.
"After the court's observation, the PML men were after me. My brother was a major protection for me against their harassment, and that was why they first removed him from the scene. He was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in Kohat in October 1997," Orakzai said.
In his petition, Orakzai has named Sharif, his brother Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Saifur Rehman, Sartaj Aziz and Gohar Ayub for allegedly being involved in the murder of his brother. "I am hopeful that I will get justice from the independent judiciary," he said.
Nawaz Sharif faces murder inquiry | |
Pakistan's Supreme court is set to hear petitions seeking the prosecution of the main opposition leader, Nawaz Sharif, for murder.
According to documents obtained by the BBC, the court will hear the accusations against Mr Sharif and then decide whether to pursue the charges. The petitions call for Mr Sharif's arrest and prosecution. He has denied ordering the murder of an ex-army officer after an alleged political kickbacks deal turned sour. Nawaz Sharif, twice elected as Pakistan's prime minister, has recently been acquitted of similar criminal charges by the Supreme Court. The court's decision was made on 21 July but it is expected to begin its inquiries imminently. 'Vindication' "This is a false and totally politically motivated accusation," Ehsan Iqbal, spokesman for Mr Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party, told the BBC. "This is only the latest in a series of recent accusations against Mr Sharif. "The presidency and hidden hands are trying to pressurise him into backing down on his demand for prosecuting (former President) Musharraf." However, the main petitioner in the case, Shahid Orakzai, said that the court ruling was the vindication of a long struggle. "It has taken 12 years for the truth to prevail," said Mr Orakzai. His brother, Maj Khalidsaeed Orakzai, was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in the northern town of Kohat in 1997. Shahid Orakzai, a freelance journalist, says his brother was murdered because he went public with a political kickbacks deal. The deal dates back to 1993 and allegedly involved Mr Sharif and senior party leaders. At that time Mr Orakzai arranged a deal between them and parliamentarians from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata). The deal involved the payment of 10 million rupees to the parliamentarians in return for their support for the PML-N candidate for Speaker of Pakistan's parliament. But the PML-N reneged on payment after the the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) candidate won the election. This led to Mr Orakzai going public with the deal and asking the chief election commissioner (CEC) to take action. However, the CEC refused and the matter ended up in court. Eventually, the court accepted that the deal had taken place and Mr Orakzai's persistence led to awkward questions for Mr Sharif. Mr Orakzai alleges that Mr Sharif subsequently ordered his brother to be murdered. "It is utter rubbish and just part of a scheme to launch a character assassination of Mr Sharif," said Mr Iqbal. "Mr Orakzai has often made himself part of petitions against Mr Sharif and everybody knows his connections to the intelligence agencies. "If we are issued notices, we will deal with them, although we aren't too worried about them." | |
The petitions call for Mr Sharif’s arrest and prosecution. He has denied ordering the murder of an ex-army officer after an alleged political kickbacks deal turned sour.
“This is a false and totally politically motivated accusation,” Ahsan Iqbal, spokesman for Mr Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League-N, told the BBC.
“This is only the latest in a series of recent accusations against Mr Sharif. The presidency and hidden hands are trying to pressurise him into backing down on his demand for prosecuting (former president) Musharraf.”
However, the main petitioner in the case, Shahid Orakzai, said that the court’s decision was the vindication of a long struggle. “It has taken 12 years for the truth to prevail,” said Mr Orakzai.
His brother, Maj Khalid Saeed Orakzai, was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in Kohat in 1997.
Mr Orakzai, a freelance journalist, says his brother was murdered because he went public with a kickback deal that dated back to 1993 and allegedly involved Mr Sharif and senior party leaders.
At that time Mr Orakzai arranged a deal between them and parliamentarians from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas.
The deal involved the payment of Rs10 million to the parliamentarians in return for their support for the PML-N candidate for speaker of the National Assembly.
But the PML-N reneged on payment after the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) candidate won the election.
This led to Mr Orakzai going public with the deal and asking the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) to take action. However, the CEC refused and the matter ended up in court.
Eventually, the court accepted that the deal had taken place and Mr Orakzai’s persistence led to awkward questions for Mr Sharif.
Mr Orakzai alleges that Mr Sharif subsequently ordered his brother to be murdered.
“It is utter rubbish and just part of a scheme to launch a character assassination of Mr Sharif,” said Mr Iqbal.
“Mr Orakzai has often made himself part of petitions against Mr Sharif and everybody knows his connections to the intelligence agencies. “If we are issued notices, we will deal with them, although we aren’t too worried about them.”
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