ISLAMABAD, May 18: The capital police have issued notices to PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, asking them to appear before the senior superintendent of police within 10 days for interrogation in connection with the 1997 attack on the Supreme Court, sources told Dawn on Friday.

The sources said that the notices were issued by the office of SSP Mohammad Malik Yousuf two days ago on the direction of Interior Minister Rehman Malik who on May 3 had called for reopening of the inquiry into the incident and interrogating the Sharif brothers.

The SSP in his interim report submitted with the interior minister on May 14 sought further direction, either to continue with the investigation or wind it up. He said the step would give political mileage to the PML-N as the Sharif brothers would use it to embarrass the government.

The SSP said that reinvestigation might fail to prove the Sharif brothers guilty because no strong evidences had ever been found against them.

However, the minister directed the police to issue notices to the Sharif brothers asking them to appear before the SSP for interrogation.

The SSP then issued the notices under CrPC 160 (police officer’s power to require attendance of witnesses).

The sources said that in response to the notices, the legal adviser of the Sharifs contacted the SSP and discussed the matter with him.