IHC takes up plea seeking arrest of Nawaz Sharif upon return

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) will hear a petition seeking arrest and cancellation of diplomatic passport to absconding convict and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif, ARY NEWS reported.

A petition has been filed in the IHC by Naeem Haider who asked the court to ensure arrest of Nawaz Sharif upon his return to Pakistan. “Nawaz Sharif is an absconding convict and therefore authorities should be barred from issuing diplomatic passport to him,” it said.

The petitioner while making Nawaz Sharif, secretary interior and foreign affairs’ secretary as respondents in the case asked the Islamabad High Court to take up the matter today and issue arrest warrants for the PML-N supremo.

The registrar IHC admitted the petition and formed a bench for the hearing to be headed by Chief Justice Athar Minallah. The proceedings into the case will begin from Monday.

Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif had directed the interior ministry to issue a diplomatic passport to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

Shehbaz Sharif after assuming charge of his office got a briefing from the diplomatic staff about the issuance of a passport to the PML-N supremo. Pakistan’s mission in London was directed to issue diplomatic passports to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and former finance minister Ishaq Dar.

However, the diplomatic staff said only Nawaz Sharif can be issued a diplomatic passport, not Ishaq Dar, on which PM Shehbaz Sharif directed to issue a normal Pakistani passport to Dar.

It may be noted that the passport of former prime minister was revoked on Feb 16, last year, who is in London in connection with his treatment.

On October 7, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) issued a proclamation against the former prime minister in Avenfield and Al-Azizia references. Through the proclamation, the court asked the PML-N supreme leader to surrender himself within 30 days to avoid the further adverse process.