LAHORE: An accountability court was told on Thursday that non-bailable arrest warrants for former prime minister Nawaz Sharif issued in a reference of a land allotment transaction also involving Jang group editor-in-chief Mir Shakilur Rehman had been dispatched to his residence in London through the Foreign Office.

A NAB investigating officer explained to the court that the Foreign Office delivered the warrants at the residence of the former premier through the Pakistan High Commission in London.

However, the investigating officer was unable to confirm whether the service of the warrants had been executed.

Presiding Judge Asad Ali asked the officer as if he was satisfied that the service of the warrants had been made to the suspect.

The officer said he would apprise the court on the next hearing as to who received the warrants at the London residence of the suspect.

At this the judge adjourned hearing till Oct 1.

The judge also extended the judicial remand of Mr Shakilur Rehman till the next hearing.

Earlier, the jail officials produced him in an ambulance as he had been admitted to hospital owing to health reasons.

Previously, the judge had twice issued bailable arrest warrants for Sharif for his constant non-appearance in the case.

The NAB in its reference alleged that Rehman illegally obtained exemption of 54 plots each measuring one-kanal situated in Block-H, Johar Town.

It alleged the land allotment had been in connivance with then chief minister Nawaz Sharif against the exemption policy and the laws for monetary gains. It said the suspects caused a loss of Rs143.53 million to the national exchequer through allotment of the land in violation of the exemption policy.

In this case, the NAB had arrested Rehman while Mr Sharif had been declared an absconder for his continuous non-appearance before the investigation team. The other two suspects, former officials of the LDA, were not arrested by the NAB but interrogated only.

Published in Dawn, September 18th, 2020