IHC takes up plea against Nawaz diplomatic passport

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court will hear a petition on Monday seeking arrest and cancellation of diplomatic passport to Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) supremo Nawaz Sharif.

A petition was filed by Naeem Haider, who asked the court to ensure arrest of Nawaz Sharif upon his return to Pakistan. Nawaz Sharif is an absconding convict and, therefore, the authorities should be barred from issuing a diplomatic passport to him, the plea said.

The petitioner made Nawaz Sharif, interior and foreign affairs secretaries as respondents in the case and asked the Islamabad High Court to take up the mattertoday and issue arrest warrants for the PMLN supremo.

The IHC admitted the petition and formed a bench for the hearing to be headed by Chief Justice Athar Minallah. The proceedings of the case will begin from Monday (tomorrow). Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had directed the interior ministry to issue a diplomatic passport to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

Shehbaz Sharif, after assuming charge of his office, got a briefing from the diplomatic staff about the issuance of passport to the PMLN supremo. Pakistan’s mission in London was directed to issue diplomatic passports to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and former finance minister Ishaq Dar. However, the diplomatic staff said only Nawaz Sharif could be issued a diplomatic passport not Ishaq Dar on which PM Shehbaz Sharif had directed to issue a normal Pakistani passport to Dar.