ISLAMABAD : An Islamabad High Court (IHC) bench will take up today a petition filed by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif challenging his non-bailable arrest warrants issued by an accountability court in Toshakhana reference.

A two-judge bench comprising IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Aamer Farooq will hear the petition.

Nawaz Sharif, who is currently in London, moved the petition through Barrister Jahangir Khan Jadoon, citing NAB chairman, judge of the accountability court-III and the investigation officer in the Toshakhana reference as respondents.

The former premier said he went to the UK on November 19, 2019 for medical treatment with the approval of the government. Nevertheless, non-bailable arrest warrants were issued in the case, depriving him of his constitutional and fundamental rights as he didn’t conceal himself from any process of the law, he added.

He requested the high court to declare the arrest warrants illegal and allow him to join the proceeding of the accountability court through his pleader.

The accountability court of Islamabad had issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Sharif over his failure to attend the trial proceeding in the case and had also initiated the process to declare him a proclaimed offender.