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Sharief's co-accused turns approver

One of the four people accused along with deposed Pakistani prime minister Nawaz Sharief has agreed to testify against him in a case involving possible hijacking and kidnapping charges, a prosecutor said today.

Sharief, who was ousted in a bloodless military coup on October 12, has been remanded to custody with the other accused until Friday, when formal charges may be laid.

Raja Qureshi, one of the three prosecutors in the case, said former civil aviation authority chief Aminullah Chaudhry had volunteered to testify against Sharief in the case, which could lead to a death penalty, and had asked for a pardon. ''He applied for a pardon under the code of criminal proceedings,'' said Qureshi, who is also the advocate-general of Sindh province.

''It has been granted by the competent authority and his statement has been recorded. He enjoys the status of an approver in the trial,'' Qureshi revealed. In Pakistan, an approver is an accomplice in a crime who decides to give evidence against another prisoner. ''His statement has been recorded yesterday and will be presented in a trial court,'' Qureshi added.

Sharief may also be charged with criminal conspiracy and attempted murder, but the hijacking accusation is the most serious as it can carry a death penalty. The others accused are former Sharief adviser Ghous Ali Shah, former Pakistan International Airlines chairman Shahid Khakan Abbasi and former Sindh province police chief Rana Maqbool.

Reuters

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