Plea to suspend arrest warrants for Nawaz’s sons in NAB cases

ISLAMABAD: The counsel for PMLN supremo Nawaz Sharif, Qazi Misbahul Hassan, filed three applications with an accountability court on Wednesday to suspend the perpetual arrest warrants for Hassan Nawaz and Hussain Nawaz, who were co-accused in the Al-Azizia, Avenfield and Flagship references, respectively.

Qazi Misbahul Hassan appeared before Accountability Court Judge Nasir Javed Rana and pleaded that Hassan and Hussain Nawaz were co-accused in the NAB references. They didn’t join the investigation in the references and their perpetual arrest warrants were ordered by the AC. They were also declared proclaimed offenders. Now they plan to return to Pakistan on March 12, 2024, and want to join the investigation. They are ready to surrender before the court, so their perpetual arrest warrants must be suspended.

The judge was also informed that the principal accused, Nawaz Sharif, was exonerated in the Al-Azizia and Avenfield references by the IHC last year and the NAB had withdrawn its appeal against acquittal in the Flagship reference. Hence, the references are finished.

The lawyer revealed this during a hearing of the Toshakhana case against Nawaz, Pakistan Peoples Party’s Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari, and former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gillani. “Hussain and Hasan Nawaz want to appear before the court, and they will return to the country on March 12,” Misbah apprised the court. Furthermore, separate appeals seeking suspension of arrest warrants for Hussain and Hasan in the cases were also filed. The court then issued notices to the ex-prime minister’s sons for Thursday (today) in response to Misbah’s request, which wasn’t opposed by prosecutor Usman Masood. Misbah said that all the other accused in the said cases had been acquitted by the high court, except his clients, who weren’t able to appear before the court. Meanwhile, the court also summoned the investigation officer to appear before the court in the Toshakhana case on March 19.