ISLAMABAD, May 23: The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued bailable arrest warrants for the chairman of the Parliamentary Commission on Human Rights, MNA Riaz Fityana, in an accountability case. A bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry directed the respondent to deposit surety bonds of Rs50,000 to avoid arrest.

The bench was hearing an appeal of the National Accountability Bureau against the acquittal of Mr Fityana in a case pertaining to illegal recruitment.

When the case was take up on Tuesday, Mr Fityana was neither himself present in the court despite notice nor was he represented by any counsel.

Advocate Ahmer Bilal Sufi argued on behalf of the NAB and after preliminary hearing the court admitted for regular hearing the petition.

An accountability court had sentenced Mr Fityana to three-year imprisonment for making 126 illegal appointments in the Faisalabad education department and the Punjab Textbook Board as provincial education minister.

However, the Lahore High Court had set aside the judgment and acquitted Mr Fityana.