ISLAMABAD, Sept 10: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Monday issued an arrest warrant of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif before he was sent on exile, government sources said.

The sources said NAB chairman Naveed Ahsan issued the arrest warrant by exercising his powers under section 24-C of the NAB ordinance after an accountability court in Rawalpindi decreed that the NAB chief could issue the arrest warrant of even an under-trial accused.

They said following the verdict of the court, NAB’s deputy prosecutor general Zulfiqar Butta prepared a proposal regarding issuance of the warrant and forwarded it to the NAB chief.

The NAB chairman convened a meeting of his officers on Saturday which decided that the bureau’s head should issue the arrest warrant against the former prime minister on the same day when he would return to the country.

Another source told Dawn that NAB was under pressure from the government to issue the arrest warrant.

At present, three cases are being tried against Mr Sharif by NAB in the accountability court. they are: Hudaibia Paper Mill case (money laundering), Raiwind Palace case and illegal asset case.

However, the NAB deputy prosecutor general thought that the government’s position was stronger in the Hudaibia Paper Mill case.

“Yes we have issued the arrest warrant against Mr Sharif only in Hudaibia Paper Mill case,” the NAB deputy prosecutor general said.

He, however, added that despite issuance of the arrest warrant, Mr Sharif was not arrested and sent on exile before that.

The sources said NAB had sent a team headed by Lt-Col (retired) Azhar Mehmood Qazi to the airport to serve the arrest warrant and arrest Mr Sharif. They said according to the plan, Mr Sharif was arrested and then sent to Saudi Arabia in a special plan.

On the other hand, PML-N central leader and a lawyer Zafar Ali Shah said the government had not only violated the NAB ordinance but also the constitution of Pakistan by deporting his party chief.

Mr Shah said his party would shortly challenge the forced exile of Mr Sharif in the Supreme Court.