Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif is named as a murder suspect

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="caption full-width" style="clear: both; float: none; margin: 0px 0px 15px; position: relative;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>   </b></span><img alt="Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif (May 2014)" height="351" src="http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/77241000/jpg/_77241344_77241061.jpg" style="-webkit-user-select: none; border: 0px; font-style: italic; position: relative;" width="624" /></span><span style="display: block; width: 624px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Mr Sharif is only 15 months into his administration, but is already facing concerted public protests against him</span></span></div> <div class="story-feature related narrow" style="clear: right; display: inline; float: right; margin: 0px -160px 16px 16px; overflow: hidden; position: relative; width: 144px;"> <a class="hidden" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-28970898#story_continues_1" style="font-weight: bold; left: -5000px; position: absolute; text-decoration: none; top: -5000px;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Continue reading the main story</span></span></a><h2 style="border-bottom-color: rgb(216, 216, 216); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(216, 216, 216); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; margin: 0px 0px 8px; padding: 11px 0px 12px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Related Stories</span></span></h2> <ul class="related-links-list" style="border-top-style: none; clear: both; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 16px; padding: 8px 0px 0px;"> <li class="has-icon-boxedwatch " style="background-image: none; margin: 0px 0px 8px; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-indent: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"><a class="story" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-28818468" rel="published-1408188628196" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); 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font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Police in Pakistan have named Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif as a suspect in a murder case, officials say.</span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">He is among 21 possible defendants suspected of the killing of 14 demonstrators near Lahore in June.</span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Opposition cleric Tahir ul-Qadri has demanded that Mr Sharif face murder charges and a terrorism probe.</span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">However the BBC's M Ilyas Khan in Islamabad says it is not automatic that Mr Sharif will be arrested and appear in court.</span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Our correspondent says this is only a preliminary investigation following the filing of a complaint to police.</span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Officers will need to find incriminating evidence before pursuing the case any further, he says.</span></div> <div class="caption full-width" style="clear: both; float: none; margin: 0px 0px 15px; position: relative;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img alt="Imran Khan and Tahirul Qadri" height="351" src="http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/76912000/jpg/_76912482_624_khan_qadri_epa_body.jpg" style="-webkit-user-select: none; border: 0px; font-style: italic; position: relative;" width="624" /></span><span style="display: block; width: 624px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Imran Khan (L) and Tahirul Qadri (R) threatened to mobilise angry supporters</span></span></div> <div class="caption full-width" style="clear: both; float: none; margin: 0px 0px 15px; position: relative;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img alt="Supporters of Canada-based preacher Tahir-ul-Qadri shout anti-government slogans during a protest in front of the Parliament in Islamabad (28 August 2014)" height="351" src="http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/77241000/jpg/_77241053_023653994-1.jpg" style="-webkit-user-select: none; border: 0px; font-style: italic; position: relative;" width="624" /></span><span style="display: block; width: 624px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Demonstrators have been involved in a two-week stand-off against the authorities</span></span></div> <div class="caption full-width" style="clear: both; float: none; margin: 0px 0px 15px; position: relative;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img alt="Thousands of supporters of Tahir-ul-Qadri listen to their leader during a sit-in protest near the parliament building in Islamabad (28 August 2014)" height="351" src="http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/77238000/jpg/_77238995_023661123-1.jpg" style="-webkit-user-select: none; border: 0px; font-style: italic; position: relative;" width="624" /></span><span style="display: block; width: 624px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">It is not clear whether supporters of Tahir-ul-Qadri will now end a sit-in outside parliament</span></span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">They are reported to have filed a first information report (FIR) - the preliminary stage of a possible criminal case - against Mr Sharif and 20 other people as possible defendants in the killing of the demonstrators.</span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Any charges in relation to the killings will only be filed if a magistrate determines there is a case to be answered.</span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Correspondents say that this procedure could take months.</span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Tahir ul-Qadri, one of two opposition figures currently leading a sit-in against Mr Sharif, had demanded that murder charges be brought in the case.</span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Addressing his supporters, Mr Qadri rejected the FIR because he said it did not include terrorism clauses.</span></div> <div class="caption full-width" style="clear: both; float: none; margin: 0px 0px 15px; position: relative;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img alt="Supporters of Pakistan"s cricketer turned-politician Imran Khan rally in Karachi (23 August 2014)" height="351" src="http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/77241000/jpg/_77241055_023599990-1.jpg" style="-webkit-user-select: none; border: 0px; font-style: italic; position: relative;" width="624" /></span><span style="display: block; width: 624px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Supporters of the prime minister say that the campaign to unseat him has run out of steam</span></span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The two-week standoff between protesters and security forces in Islamabad has taken place just 15 months after the prime minister won a five-year mandate in elections.</span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">A statement from Mr Sharif's office on Thursday confirmed that orders had been issued to register a case.</span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Among those named in the FIR are Mr Sharif's brother Shahbaz Sharif, the chief minister of Punjab province of which Lahore is the capital.</span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Correspondents say that it remains unclear if Mr Qadri is calling off his protest after a week of on-again off-again talks with the government.</span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Another opposition politician, Imran Khan - who argues that elections in June 2013 were rigged - has also called for Mr Sharif to resign.</span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Mr Khan and Mr Qadri led thousands of their supporters in separate marches from Lahore to Islamabad - and both protest camps are now occupying two highways in the Pakistani capital.</span></div> </div>

Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif is named as a murder suspect

    Mr Sharif is only 15 months into his administration, but is already facing concerted public protests against him Continue reading th...

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Niger's Hama Amadou flees over baby-trafficking scandal

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="caption full-width" style="clear: both; float: none; margin: 0px 0px 15px; position: relative;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>       </b></span><img alt="Niger's speaker of parliament Hama Amadou in June 2014" height="351" src="http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/77212000/jpg/_77212842_450659856.jpg" style="-webkit-user-select: none; border: 0px; font-style: italic; position: relative;" width="624" /></span><span style="display: block; width: 624px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Parliamentary speaker Hama Amadou, whose wife was arrested in June, has fled to Burkina Faso</span></span></div> <div class="story-feature related narrow" style="clear: right; display: inline; float: right; margin: 0px -160px 16px 16px; overflow: hidden; position: relative; width: 144px;"> <a class="hidden" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-28966966#story_continues_1" style="font-weight: bold; left: -5000px; position: absolute; text-decoration: none; top: -5000px;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Continue reading the main story</span></span></a><h2 style="border-bottom-color: rgb(216, 216, 216); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(216, 216, 216); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; margin: 0px 0px 8px; padding: 11px 0px 12px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Related Stories</span></span></h2> <ul class="related-links-list" style="border-top-style: none; clear: both; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 16px; padding: 8px 0px 0px;"> <li style="background-image: none; margin: 0px 0px 8px; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-rendering: auto;"><a class="story" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13943662" rel="published-1309261059221" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: black;">Niger country profile</span></a></li> <li style="background-image: none; margin: 0px 0px 8px; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-rendering: auto;"><a class="story" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-25156204" rel="published-1386087783463" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: black;">Letter from Africa: In fear of child-snatchers</span></a></li> <li style="background-image: none; margin: 0px 0px 8px; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-rendering: auto;"><a class="story" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-19718084" rel="published-1348616228849" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: black;">Nigerian's battle to keep her baby</span></a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="introduction" id="story_continues_1" style="clear: left; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The speaker of Niger's parliament has fled the country after a parliamentary committee agreed he could be arrested over a baby-trafficking scandal.</span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Hama Amadou, considered a presidential contender in 2016, says the allegations are politically motivated.</span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">His second wife and 16 other people were arrested in June accused of illegally buying new-borns from "baby factories" in south-eastern Nigeria.</span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">All of those accused have denied any wrong-doing.</span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The babies are allegedly sold for thousands of dollars each.</span></div> <span class="cross-head" style="display: block; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px 0px 16px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">'UnIslamic'</span></span><br /> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The BBC's Niger correspondent Baro Arzika says the case has proved fortuitous for President Mahamadou Issoufou's party which has been looking for ways to remove Mr Amadou as speaker since he fell out with the ruling coalition.</span></div> <div class="story-feature narrow" style="clear: right; display: inline; float: right; margin: 0px -160px 16px 16px; overflow: hidden; position: relative; width: 144px;"> <a class="hidden" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-28966966#story_continues_2" style="font-weight: bold; left: -5000px; position: absolute; text-decoration: none; top: -5000px;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Continue reading the main story</span></span></a><h2 class="quote" style="background-image: url(http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/view/3_0_21/cream/hi/shared/img/story_sprite.png); background-position: 0px -188px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border-bottom-color: rgb(216, 216, 216); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(216, 216, 216); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; clear: both; margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 6px 0px 5px; position: relative; text-indent: -500px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"> <div style="text-indent: 0px;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“</span></span></div> <span style="display: block; margin: 0px 0px 5px; text-indent: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Start Quote</span></span></span></h2> <blockquote style="display: inline; float: left; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> <div class="first-child" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 12px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">It is not with a light heart that we have decided this”</span></div> </blockquote> <span class="quote-credit" style="clear: both; display: block; margin: 0px 0px 8px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Daouda Malam Barte</span></span><span class="quote-credit-title" style="clear: both; display: block; margin: 0px 0px 8px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Deputy parliamentary chief</span></span></div> <div id="story_continues_2" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The scandal has also shocked many in the predominantly Muslim country as it is seen as unIslamic to pass off adopted children as your own, our reporter says.</span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">It has been reported that some of the women claimed to be pregnant and went to Nigeria before returning with their babies, he says.</span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The National Assembly's top committee, which includes deputy speakers and the heads of parliamentary committees, met on Wednesday and agreed that police could arrest and question Mr Amadou over the allegations.</span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Six opposition members refused to attend, but enough were present to take the decision.</span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"It is not with a light heart that we have decided this. But the government has itself handed over one of its ministers this weekend," Reuters news agency quotes the deputy parliamentary chief Daouda Malam Barte as saying.</span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">He was referring to Abdou Labo, who has been sacked as agriculture minister and arrested on Saturday in connection with the scandal. After he was dismissed he lost his immunity from prosecution as he is not an MP.</span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">A full parliamentary session would be needed to lift Mr Amadou's immunity.</span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Some 30 children are at the centre of the baby-trafficking allegations, our reporter says.</span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">According to the AFP news agency, the case allegedly involves forging and altering birth certificates to switch the names of mothers.</span></div> </div>

Niger's Hama Amadou flees over baby-trafficking scandal

        Parliamentary speaker Hama Amadou, whose wife was arrested in June, has fled to Burkina Faso Continue reading the main story Re...

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