PESHAWAR, Oct 21: A two-member bench of the Supreme Court on Monday issued arrest warrants for Education Secretary Amjad Shahid Afridi after he declined to appear before the court.

The bench comprising Justice Mian Mohammad Ajmal and Justice Tanveer Ahmad Khan directed the NWFP chief secretary to produce the official on Wednesday.

The secretary, in his written reply to the court’s notice, had claimed that he would prefer to go to prison instead of allowing himself to be insulted by the judges.

He had also stated that if he were insulted by any of the judges he would give a reply in the same way.

The court had directed the secretary to appear on Friday in a leave to appeal petition filed by an employee of the education department, Muhammad Ali Shah, challenging an order of the NWFP Service Tribunal.

The court had summoned the secretary after the concerned officials had failed to produce relevant documents despite repeated requests.

The secretary did not turn up on Friday and the bench issued a contempt of court notice to him with the direction to appear on Monday.

The secretary visited the office of the advocate-general on Friday and on Monday and informed the law officers that he would never appear before the court.