Pakistan Court Orders Arrest on Arrival for Ex-PM Sharif’s Brother

Text of report by Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) news agency

Lahore, 7 September: Lahore Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) Judge Shabbir Hussain Chatha issued arrest warrants on Friday [7 September] against former Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on his arrival from exile.

Shahbaz Sharif is accused of ordering the killing of five students of a madrasah. The boys – Salahuddin, Ashraf, Wakil, Farooq and Rauf – were allegedly killed in a fake encounter on unestablished charges of terrorism on 27 January 1998. The event occurred when Shahbaz Sharif was chief minister of Punjab. An FIR [first information report] had been registered against him on the orders of the Lahore High Court.

The prosecution lawyer, Aftab Bajwa, pleaded that the court may order the police to arrest Shahbaz Sharif and produce him before the court.

The court ordered that, “Shahbaz Sharif should be arrested whichever airport he lands at”, according to the lawyer. The FIR had been registered on a petition that had been filed in LHC [Lahore High Court] by Saeeduddin, Salahuddin’s father for the registration of an FIR. The LHC had ordered the registration of the case against Shahbaz Sharif and 13 others including police officials on 30 January 2001. The ATC had issued many notices to Shahbaz Sharif and others but Shahbaz Sharif never appeared in the court due to his banishment. The ATC issued non-bailable arrest warrants of Shahbaz Sharif and the case remained pending in the court.

Originally published by Associated Press of Pakistan news agency, Islamabad, in English 0945 07 Sep 07.

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