Warrants for Nawaz’s sons suspended till 14th

ISLAMABAD: Accountability Court Judge Nasir Javed Rana Thursday suspended the perpetual arrest warrants of Hassan Nawaz and Hussain Nawaz, sons of Nawaz Sharif, till March 14.

The court suspended the arrest warrants in three corruption references related to the Panama Papers case.

Hassan and Hussain, through their counsel Qazi Misbahul Hassan, had filed an application in the court, seeking suspension of the warrants issued against them in the Avenfield Apartments, Al-Azizia and Flagship Investment references.

The accountability court had earlier declared both as proclaimed offenders in 2018 and had issued non-bailable perpetual arrest warrants for them. The case revolved around the ownership and acquisition of luxury apartments in London by the Sharif family.

The court had previously noted that during the years 1993, 1995 and 1996 when the Avenfield flats were allegedly purchased through offshore companies in London, Hassan, Hussain and Maryam Nawaz were not financially sound.

Hassan and Hussain’s lawyers, Qazi Misbahul Hassan and Rana Irfan, had appeared in the court before the decision was reserved. The defence argued that all other accused in the case had been acquitted by the high court in the reference. The lawyers asserted that on March 12, both Hassan and Hussain would return to Pakistan and voluntarily appear before the court. Two arrest warrants had already been suspended and the accused were willing to surrender before the court.

Prosecutor Sohail Arif supported the idea of giving the accused an opportunity to appear in the court. The decision to suspend the perpetual arrest warrants until March 14 provided a window for Hassan and Hussain Nawaz to present themselves before the accountability court.

The court order, a copy of which is available with The News, stated that “both the accused are allowed to surrender before the court, failing which the law shall take its own course.”

It highlighted that the accused persons, who were also petitioners in the case, wanted to surrender before the court “in good faith” in order to face the court proceedings.

The order noted that the court agreed with the NAB prosecutor’s submission that “the purpose of the perpetual warrant of arrest is to procure attendance of the accused and if accused intends to surrender himself before the court, he may be given an opportunity to face the trial.”

Deputy Prosecutor General Sardar Muzaffar, Usman Masood and Sohail Arif appeared in court on behalf of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).