Karachi, Dec. 18 (ANI): An accountability court here on Friday issued an arrest warrant against Interior Minister Rehman Malik.

The warrant has been issued following the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) request to reopen cases against Malik and several other political leaders, who until now were safeguarded by the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO).

Earlier, the Supreme Court served a contempt-of-court notice on Malik for transferring Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) Director, General Tariq Khosa, who was heading an investigation into a case against alleged irregularities amounting to 22 billion rupees on court orders at the time of reassignment.

The three-member court headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhury, summoned Malik to appear before it on December 24 and file a written reply to the contempt notice.

“We issue notice to Rehman Malik to appear before the court and explain as to why not contempt of court proceedings are initiated against him,” The Nation quoted the court’s order, a saying.

The apex court took serious note of Khosa’s transfer terming it as “an act of interference in its affairs and misinterpretation of orders.” (ANI)