NAB seeks permanent arrest warrants for Nawaz Sharif

IHC asks both counsels to appoint representative as former PM was declared absconder

ISLAMABAD:

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Wednesday asked the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to issue permanent arrest warrants for former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

The bench, comprising Justice Aamir Farooq and Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, heard the pleas made by Nawaz, Maryam Nawaz, and Captain (retd) Safdar against their sentences by the accountability court.

Observing that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo has already been declared an absconder, Justice Aamir Farooq asked both the counsels to assist on appointing a representative.

Later, on the request by Maryam's counsel Amjad Pervez, the court adjourned the hearing till the last week of May.

Also read NAB given go-ahead to auction Nawaz Sharif's properties, forfeit vehicles

On March 31, the top accountability watchdog moved an application with the IHC, seeking to take up former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s appeals against his conviction on an urgent basis.

In its two-page civil miscellaneous application, NAB stated that the National Accountability Ordinance, 1999 (NAO) ordains that the issues falling within the purview of the enactment are to be expeditiously disposed of and decided.

In December last year, IHC declared the former premier a proclaimed offender after the PML-N supreme leader ignored all summons and proclamations of the bench that was originally formed to hear the appeals against his conviction in two graft cases.

Last week, an accountability court in Islamabad ordered the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) to sell all the shares that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif owns in various businesses, and to deposit their proceeds in the treasury.

The court also ordered managers of the banks, in which the PML-N leader has accounts. to transfer the funds available in them to the state treasury in 30 days.