ISLAMABAD: An Islamabad High Court (IHC) bench on Thursday disposed of a petition filed by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif challenging his non-bailable arrest warrants issued by an accountability court in the Toshakhana reference.

The IHC division bench comprising Chief Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Aamer Farooq took up the petition.

The court dismissed the constitutional petition through which Sharif sought withdrawal of non-bailable arrest warrants issued against him in the Toshakhana case when his counsel Barrister Jahangir Khan Jadoon sought permission to withdraw it.

The former premier had also sought the IHC’s permission to join proceedings in the accountability court through a pleader. The accountability court, hearing the case on Aug 17, had allowed him to appear in court through his representative.

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.