Pak court issues arrest warrant against Abbasi
Lahore, Sept. 10: A Pakistan court Monday issued bailable arrest warrants against former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi for skipping proceedings in a case seeking action against him for disclosing the minutes of a high- profile security meeting to his party leader Nawaz Sharif.
The petition also seeks action against Sharif under treason charges for claiming that those involved in the deadly 2008 Mumbai terror attack belonged to Pakistan.
A Lahore high court’s three- member bench headed by Justice Syed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi again issued notices to Sharif and a Dawn journalist, who had interviewed the PML- N party supremo.
The bench was annoyed when no one appeared before the court on behalf of the three respondents — Sharif, Abbasi and the reporter.
“The LHC issued bailable arrest warrants against Abbasi, directing the authorities concerned to send notices to Nawaz Sharif through superintendent of Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi and the Dawn reporter through Senior Superintendent Police Operations Islamabad,” a court official said. Justice Naqvi observed that Abbasi should have attended the court as he was present during the previous hearing on June 29, this year.
Petitioner's lawyer told the court that Abbasi was in Lahore to run his campaign for the by- poll on National Assembly seat NA- 124 but he avoided the court hearing.