ISLAMABAD – Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif along with his daughterMaryam Nawaz Sharif, and son-in-law Captain Retired Safdar, have startedtheir prison term in Adiala jail in Rawalpindi on Saturday.
Safdar, husband of Maryam, was already in Adiala Jail when Nawaz andMariyum were brought from the Islamabad airport as prisoners.
Saturday was the first morning for Nawaz and Maryam to what seems to be along stay, as Nawaz Sharif will be in jail for the next 10 years and hisdaughter will have to be in jail for at least 8 years, according to theverdict of the Avenfield case, which has found Sharif family guilty ofcorruption.
Nawaz Sharif has been given a ‘B’ class jail while the same has been givento Maryam and her husband Safdar.
‘B’ class jail includes facilities such as a 21-inch television, newspaper,a bed and fan, table and chair, bed and mattress, room cooler and food.
The family has been kept in the same compound with three different rooms.
The Sharif family has been allowed to meet each other and get cooked foodfrom outside.
It was expected that Sharif family will not waste a single day insubmitting their appeal against the verdict, which was to be submitted bytheir lawyer Khawaja Haris.
Sources close to the family confirmed that documents required for theappeals of Nawaz Sharif, Maryam and Safdar had already been prepared andsigned by the Sharif family.
However, Khawaja Haris did not submit the appeal at the Islamabad HighCourt (IHC) on Saturday.
It is pertinent to mention here that Sharif family has to file the appealwithin 10 days of the verdict announcement.
After the verdict was announced on July 6th, Sharif family was alloted timetill Monday, the 16th of July, to submit the appeal.
Moreover, Khawaja Haris visited Nawaz Sharif in the evening on Saturday todiscuss the details on the appeal to be filed on Monday.
On the other hand, the first day in jail was more inclined towards makingthe Sharif family aware and synced with the Standard Operating Procedures(SOP) of the Adiala Central Jail.
The first reality check for Nawaz Sharif started during the morning, whenhe refused to take breakfast from the jail authorities and opted to waitingfor his staff of the Punjab House to bring him clothes and food.
However, his staff did come to the Adiala jail with food and clothes forthe Sharif family but they were denied meeting or entry into the jail.
The jail authorities made this clear to the staff members that the meetingday with the prisoners was on every Thursday and Friday and that theycannot allow them anyday to go and meet Sharif and his family in jail.
The authorities were handed over food and clothes by Nawaz’s staff members,which were delivered to them by the jail officials.
Nawaz Sharif and family, whose normal day starts with high-class living andfirst-class travelling, has now been plunged into an average living injail, that also without an air-conditioner in the room.
While the first day in jail would certainly have been more than just adifficult struggle for the Sharif family, knowing that they are in jail forat least 48 more hours until appeal is submitted on Monday, woulddefinitely test the patience of the Sharif family.