An accountability court on Thursday halted Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Nawaz Sharif’s arrest order in the Toshakhana case following National Accountability Bureau (NAB) raising no objections.
The ruling was declared shortly after the decision was reserved on Nawaz’s request to pause the arrest order in the Toshakhana case.
A day before, the former PM approached an accountability court in Islamabad to prevent his detention in the case upon his return to the country on October 21.
Nawaz’s Toshakhana Case Warrant Suspended
During today’s session, Nawaz’s lawyer Qazi Misbah urged accountability court Judge Muhammad Bashir to halt the arrest of his client in the case since he was coming back to the country and intended to present himself before the court.
Nawaz, the former premier for three terms, is scheduled to return to the country on Saturday, concluding his four-year self-imposed exile in London.
Ahead of his return, his legal team approached the Islamabad High Court (IHC) and the accountability court to seek protective bail to avoid his arrest upon his return.
In today’s hearing, Nawaz’s lawyer informed the court that the former PM wished to appear before the court for the next case hearing set for October 24.
In response to the judge’s inquiry about Nawaz’s absence in court, lawyer Misbah stated that his client was unwell and provided that his medical report had been submitted along with the plea.
The NAB prosecutor, who filed the Toshakhana reference against the ex-PM, asked the court to suspend the accused’s arrest order if he intended to surrender before the court by October 24.
The prosecutor emphasized that the purpose of an arrest order is to ensure compliance with the law.
Judge Bashir also inquired about the status of other accused individuals, including former president Asif Ali Zardari. The lawyers informed the court that no arrests had been made in connection with the case so far.
A day earlier, the IHC issued a notice to NAB regarding Nawaz’s petitions seeking protective bail in the Al-Azizia and Avenfield references.
Also Read: Accountability Court reserves verdict on Plea to suspend Nawaz’s arrest warrant
A two-member IHC panel led by Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb will address the pleas today.
Meanwhile, the NAB Rawalpindi bureau has appointed Rafay Maqsood to represent before the IHC panel as a prosecutor.
Convictions and court rulings
It is worth noting that an accountability court handed down a sentence to the three-time prime minister in the Avenfield and Al-Azizia Steel Mills references in 2018.
The sentence was contested in the high court, which suspended the accountability court’s verdict.
Proceedings for the appeal against the sentences were underway when Nawaz traveled abroad for medical treatment and did not return to pursue the case.
The PML-N leader, after moving to the Lahore High Court (LHC) instead of the IHC, was permitted to go abroad for four weeks after his brother and party president Shehbaz Sharif provided an assurance in court promising Nawaz’s return once his health improved.
The IHC, in the absence of the PML-N leader, dismissed the appeals due to “non-prosecution” rather than adjourning the proceedings indefinitely.
The court, in declaring Nawaz a proclaimed offender, noted that the appeals were rejected on procedural grounds and not based on the merits of the arguments.
The applicant can once again file an appeal against the sentence upon his return, the court added.