LONDON: The Interpol has refused to issue red warrants for the arrest and extradition of Hussain Nawaz Sharif on the application of Pakistani government, dealing a big blow to the international efforts made by the current government against the family of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.
The decision to reject the application against Hussain Nawaz was made by the Interpol’s commission, comprised of five members and headed by its chairperson, during its 10th session.
Papers show that Pakistani authorities made robust representations to the international body, relying on the recent court decision against Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz and Captain (retd) Safdar, but it failed to convince the Interpol for the issuance of red warrants against the eldest son of the former prime minister.
Pakistan made representations through the Interpol’s National Central Bureau (NCB) in Islamabad.
While hundreds of documents were produced by both sides in favour of their cases, the Interpol’s Commission decision was made on 11 pages summing up the case of both sides succinctly and then declaring the NCB has failed to produce “sufficient evidence” linking Hussain Nawaz with the charges made against him in the application seeking the red warrants.
The Commission’s decision reads: “The Commission finds that the NCB of Pakistan has not provided sufficient facts that specifically link the wanted individual to the charges against him and it is not able to confirm that the data registered would be in compliance with Interpol’s rule and in view of the Article 83 of the PRD.”
It added: “For the reasons, the Commission decides that the data concerning the applicant are not compliant with Interpol’s rules applicable to the proceeding of personal data and that they shall be deleted from Interpol’s files.”
It noted: “However, the applicant’s personal and specific role in the offence forming the base of the Red Notice request remains unclear even after further elements were provided by the NCB of Pakistan.”
Hussain Nawaz argued that proceedings against his family were politically motivated, designed to damage the Sharif family and through them, the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz, to the advantage of PTI led by Imran Khan.
The CNB argued that Hussain Nawaz’s arguments are baseless and aimed at avoiding the prosecution process in Pakistan. It said that Nawaz Sharif was tried through fair process and all obligations were met.
The NCB of the UK explained it didn’t have any ongoing proceedings against Hussain Nawaz.
Hussain Nawaz claimed that the prosecution failed to bring positive evidence on record to prove the price at which the assets were acquired and the known sources of income of the accused at the relevant time and that it was unable to refer to any document showing the price at which the apartments had been purchased at the relevant time.
