IHC tells Nawaz Sharif: Appear in 30 days or be an absconder

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday ordered that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif should be summoned through advertisements and directed the federal government to submit receipt of the advertisement within two days. The IHC issued these orders in the Al-Azizia and Avenfield references.

The court decided to give advertisements in newspapers after going through the report regarding the execution of non-bailable arrest warrants for convicted former prime minister Nawaz Sharif submitted by the Pakistan High Commission in London. The court said that after the publication of advertisement in newspaper, Nawaz Sharif would have 30 days to appear before the court and if he did not appear before the court, he would be declared an absconder. The court directed the federal government to submit the receipt of the newspaper advertisements in the court within two days.

The court said that after the publication in the newspapers, the ads shall be posted on various places. Two of the many places where the court has ordered the notices to be placed are outside the Sharif’s residences in Lahore and in London.

The court ordered that advertisements should be published in both English and Urdu newspapers. These should also be published in newspapers in the United Kingdom. Federal government will pay the entire cost of the advertisements.

Earlier, First Secretary Pakistan High Commission London Dildar Ali Abro, in his statement, said that one of the secretaries of Nawaz’s son told him that he would receive Nawaz’s arrest warrants at the former premier’s current residence in Park Lane. He further said that after getting permission from authorities concerned regarding the execution of warrants, he set meeting with Nawaz son’s secretary on September 23 but later he refused to receive warrants.

Consular Attaché of Pakistan High Commission in London Rao Abdul Hanan said in his statement that he went to Nawaz Sharif’s residence to enforce the non-bailable arrest warrants on September 17 but his personal employee refused to receive the warrants.

Foreign Ministry Director Europe Mubashir Khan also recorded his statement wherein he said that he had copies of Nawaz’ arrest warrants. “The court issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Nawaz Sharif in two appeals,” he said. ”Arrest warrants were received by post, which were sent in a diplomatic bag with a covering letter. Receipt and delivery of mail were registered in the register book.”

Earlier in September, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was declared a proclaimed offender and had refused multiple times to receive the arrest warrants issued in his name. The arrest warrants were sent twice by hand and once via Britain's Royal Mail. The federal government had also written another letter to the UK for the deportation of the convicted former premier, who was allowed to fly to London for treatment in November 2019 but was later declared an absconder by courts in Pakistan.

Justice Amir Farooq during the hearing inquired what the next step in the process to bring Nawaz back would be. To this, NAB Additional Prosecutor General Jahanzaib Bharwana said that the next stage is to formally declare Nawaz a fugitive. "It is clear that Nawaz deliberately did not receive the arrest warrants," he said. "Nawaz Sharif must be declared an absconder," urged NAB Deputy Prosecutor General Sardar Muzaffar Abbas.