Non-bailable arrest warrant issued for Nawaz Sharif

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday issued non-bailable arrest warrants for former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

The court, which took up a petition seeking cancellation of bail granted to the former premier in Avenfield House reference, in a brief ruling observed that the PML-N supreme leader was neither admitted to any hospital nor did he undergo any surgery.

The court has also rejected Nawaz Sharif’s plea seeking exemption from the hearing and directed to initiate proceedings to declare him as proclaimed offender.

The IHC has also turned down the PML-N supremo’s petition to continue the case hearings through a legal representative.

Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif petitioned an exemption from his court appearance, but the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday issued non-bailable arrest warrants for him during a hearing to ensure the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supreme leader’s appearance.

Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani said that the PML-N leader had not undergone surgery nor was he admitted to a hospital despite citing medical issues as the reason for obtaining bail and traveling to United Kingdom.

“Our bail order has expired, which has its own effects,” the judge said during the hearing regarding the cancellation of Nawaz’s bail in the Avenfield properties reference.

“Do we announce a ruling on this without hearing the other side,” the court remarked, citing that they needed to hear the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) appeal to make a ruling.

In this regard, NAB Additional Prosecutor General Jahanzeb Khan Bharwana said the court could appoint a legal counsel to represent Nawaz.

“Then this principle will also apply to the appeals filed by Nawaz Sharif,” the court shot back at Bharwana, who added that the PML-N supremo was an absconder.

“I’m sorry but no one is absconding in front of the court right now,” Nawaz’s defense counsel Khawaja Haris responded to the NAB prosecutor-general.