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Sharief to be chargesheeted today

Pakistan today called in paramilitary rangers to guard the court where ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharief was set to face charges that could lead to a death sentence.

Witnesses said an unprecedented number of rangers were surrounding the Sindh high court building in Karachi, with entry allowed only to those with permission from the government or the court.

The military-led government late yesterday named a new judge to try Sharief, his brother Shahbaz and five others accused of criminal conspiracy, kidnapping, attempted murder and hijacking -- which can carry a death sentence.

Justice Shabir Ahmed of the provincial Sindh high court was named to head the anti-terrorism court, where formal charges against Sharief and the others were to be filed today, provincial Advocate General Raja Qureshi said.

The laying of the charges was delayed last Saturday to give the government time to appoint a new judge after it changed the law and said only high court judges could preside over the anti-terrorism courts.

Previously, the anti-terrorism court that is to try Sharief was headed by a lower-ranking sessions judge.

Sharief and his lawyers protested against the change in the law, accusing the government of trying to get the verdict it wanted from a hand-picked judge.

The government denied the charge and said the change would make the trial more transparent.

The charges against Sharief and others arise from an alleged attempt on October 12 to divert a plane bringing army chief General Pervez Musharraf to Karachi from Sri Lanka.

Sharief had sacked General Musharraf earlier in the day, and hours later the general returned to overthrow Sharief in a bloodless coup and later assumed the title of chief executive.

UNI

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