Court terminates Nawaz Sharif’s perpetual arrest warrant

Liaquat Ali

Islamabad: An Accountability Court on Tuesday cancelled the perpetual arrest warrant of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Quaid Nawaz Sharif in the Toshakhana reference. AC Judge Muhammad Bashir heard the case wherein former prime minister Nawaz Sharif appeared before court along with his legal team.

Former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, who is also named in the case, also appeared while the court granted one time exemption from attendance to ex-president Asif Ali Zardari. During the course of hearing, Nawaz Sharif’s lawyer Qazi Misbah filed three separate applications for release of his client’s confiscated property, appointment of a pleader in the case and submission of bail bonds in the Toshakhana reference. To the court’s query, the lawyer replied that Advocate Rana Muhammad Irfan was the pleader, who was present in the court. He said that Nawaz Sharif would appear whenever the court would summon him.

The court said that copies of the case would be distributed on the next date of hearing. The court issued a notice to NAB on the request for release of confiscated property and sought its response. On the occasion, NAB Prosecutor Sohail Arif said the arrest warrants of Nawaz Sharif should be terminated after he surrendered before court so that his trial could be proceeded.

The court accepted the bail of Nawaz Sharif against surety bonds of Rs1 million and stopped the Bureau from arresting him. The case was then adjourned till November 20. The National Accountability Bureau, in the reference, has alleged that Nawaz Sharif and Asif Ali Zardari had obtained bulletproof vehicles from the Toshakhana during the regime of Yousaf Raza Gilani.