District and Sessions Judge Nazir Ahmed Ganjana on Monday issued non-bailable arrest warrants for former Pakistan Peoples Party MPA Amna Buttar for not turning up in court to answer allegations that she made a false declaration about dual nationality when filing her nomination papers.
The same court extended the interim bail of a former PML-N MPA and granted bail to a former PML-Q MNA facing similar charges.
The court had previously issued bailable warrants for Buttar, but she did not show up for Monday’s hearing. The court had also issued several notices summoning Buttar to earlier hearings, all of which she ignored. The judge directed the authorities concerned to arrest Buttar and produce her before the court by February 27.
On June 14, 2012, the Supreme Court disqualified Buttar on the grounds that she also had American nationality, which was a violation of Article 63(1) (C).
It directed the Punjab Assembly secretary to recover the monetary benefits she had enjoyed as an MPA.
The Election Commission of Pakistan later filed petitions against her and other parliamentarians disqualified on similar grounds accusing them of making a false declaration when they filed their nomination papers.
The district and sessions judge on Monday granted interim bail to former PML-Q MNA Begum Shahnaz Sheikh, alleged to have both Pakistani and Australian nationalities, until February 27 on surety of Rs30,000. The judge had issued bailable arrest warrants for her at the previous hearing, but she appeared before the court along with her counsel on Monday. Charges are expected to be framed against her at the next hearing.
The court extended the bail of former PML-N MPA Rana Asif Mehmod, reported to have Canadian and Pakistani nationalities, till February 27.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 26th, 2013.