IHC directs Nawaz to appear on September 22nd
Monitoring Desk :
QUETTA: The Islamabad High Court on Thursday directed the foreign secretary to ensure the production of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif before the court on the 22nd of September. A letter addressed to the foreign secretary by the assistant registrar of the IHC stated that the court had issued non-bailable arrest warrants of the former premier on September 15th.
The court was hearing the former premier’s application seeking exemption from personal appearance in the hearing of appeals against his conviction in the Al Azizia and Avenfield Properties references.
The foreign secretary has been told to “cause the production of the appellant (Nawaz) through the High Commission of Pakistan in the United Kingdom” by 11 am on September 22. Nawaz will also have to appear on any other dates that might be fixed by the court, the letter added. A copy of the order issued on Tuesday was also attached to the letter.
Earlier this week, the court had issued Nawaz’s arrest warrants while hearing three miscellaneous applications filed by the PML-N supremo seeking to forgo the requirement of his surrender, pursue the appeal through a legal representative and exemption from court appearance. A two-member bench comprising Justice Aamir Farooq and Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani heard the appeal.
The IHC had directed Nawaz earlier this month to surrender before the court and appear at the next hearing scheduled for September 10. Shortly after, Nawaz had filed a review petition asking the court to forgo the requirement.
