Court issues non-bailable arrest warrant for Sharif

Directs foreign affairs ministry to implement order

LAHORE:

An accountability court on Thursday issued non-bailable arrest warrant for former premier Nawaz Sharif in the plot allotment reference and directed the foreign affairs ministry to implement the order through the Pakistan High Commission in London.

Accountability Court in Lahore Judge Asad Ali heard the reference wherein special prosecutor Harris Qureshi appeared on behalf of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) – the top anti-graft body.

Model Town Police Station’s Inspector Bashir Ahmed presented Sharif’s arrest warrant report and stated that the former premier was not at his residence. Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Ata Tarar confirmed that the party leader had been abroad for six months.

NAB prosecutor urged the court to issue non-bailable arrest warrants for Sharif. Hearing the appeal, the court issued a non-bailable arrest warrant for Sharif and directed the foreign affairs ministry to implement the order through the Pakistan High Commission in London.

It is pertinent to mention that the Islamabad High Court had directed Sharif to appear before it on September 10, warning that otherwise, it would declare the former prime minister an absconder and also initiate action against those who acted as guarantors when the PML-N leader was granted bail by the court.

“We deem [it] appropriate that an opportunity be granted to the appellant [Nawaz] to appear before the court and surrender to the authorities before the next date of hearing. Failing this, proceedings would be initiated against him in accordance with law including but not limited to the provisions of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Ordinance, 1999,” reads an order-sheet issued by a bench comprising Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani and Justice Aamer Farooq on Tuesday.

An IHC bench granted bail to Sharif in the Avenfield case in Sept 2018. The same court on October 29, 2019, granted him eight-week bail also in the Al-Azizia case in view of his deteriorating health condition.

The former premier was later also granted the permission to fly abroad for medical treatment after the Lahore High Court ordered the government to remove his name from the Exit Control List. The politician had challenged his convictions in the IHC.