ISLAMABAD - Assistant registrar of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) yesterday wrote a letter to the Secretary Foreign Affairs to ensure the production of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif before the said court on September 22.
The letter said that on September 15, an IHC bench had ordered the issuance of non-bailable arrest warrants of Nawaz, while hearing the former prime minister’s application seeking exemption from personal appearance in the hearing of appeals against his conviction in the Al-Azizia and Avenfield properties references.
In the letter, the foreign secretary was told to “cause the production of appellant (Nawaz) through High Commission of Pakistan in United Kingdom” by 11am on September 22. The letter added that Sharif would also have to appear on any other dates that might be fixed by the court. A copy of the order issued by the court was also attached with the letter.
Earlier, a division bench of IHC comprising Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani issued the written order wherein it had issued non-bailable arrest warrants of Nawaz Sharif in Al-Azizia and Avenfielf references and also directed the government to execute arrest warrants of the former prime minister through the Pakistani High Commission in the UK.
The court noted in its order, “Let non-bailable warrants of arrest of the appellant be issued for 22.09.2020. The warrants of arrest shall be executed by the Foreign Office through High Commission of Pakistan in United Kingdom.