A Pakistani court has asked the government to issue through Interpol its warrants for arrests of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and her spouse Asif Ali Zardari in a case related to alleged wrongful declaration of assets by them before the Election Commission in 1997.
Contradicting a story by a local news agency that Interpol has issued arrest warrants against the two, Faratullah Babar, the spokesman of Bhutto's Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), said the district and sessions court here for the fourth time has asked the government to issue the warrants.
"There is no Interpol arrest warrant as reported," he said.
The Interpol some months back had issued red corner notice intimating member countries about arrest warrants but there is no Interpol warrant issued, he said on Thursday.
The arrest warrants have been issued by additional district and session judge Mirza Rafi-ul Zaman on an application submitted by National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
The Home Secretary was directed to inform the court on the next hearing to be held on October 7 whether the warrants have been complied with or not.
The court warrants were issued amid reports that back-channel talks between Pesident Pervez Musharraf's envoys and Bhutto were currently on for a rapprochement.
{{/usCountry}}The court warrants were issued amid reports that back-channel talks between Pesident Pervez Musharraf's envoys and Bhutto were currently on for a rapprochement.
{{/usCountry}}Some reports have also suggested that the warrants were a ploy by the government to apply more pressure on Bhutto.