LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Saturday allowed former prime minister Nawaz Sharif to travel abroad unconditionally for medical treatment.
A two-judge bench, comprising Justice Ali Baqar Najafi and Justice Sardar Ahmad Naeem, heard the petition challenging the government’s condition of furnishing indemnity bonds to remove Nawaz Sharif’s name from the Exit Control List (ECL).
During the hearing, Justice Najafi remarked that in his opinion, it was not fair for the government to place conditions after the Islamabad High Court had granted bail to Nawaz Sharif.
The bench pointed out if Nawaz Sharif’s health improves, then the federal government’s board can examine him. After hearing arguments, the court said it would present its own draft for the undertaking and handed it over to lawyers of both sides for review.
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Earlier today, the Lahore High Court has resumed hearing a plea to remove former premier Nawaz Sharif’s name from the ECL.
A division bench of the LHC asked Nawaz Sharif’s counsel to submit a draft of the undertaking that the former premier would return to Pakistan.
The order came during the hearing of a petition filed by Shehbaz Sharif challenging the government’s condition that Sharif furnished an indemnity bond for the removal of his name from the ECL.
Amjad Pervez, the lawyer for Shehbaz Sharif, submitted a two-page handwritten draft on behalf of his client with the court’s associate, which was later delivered to the judge’s chamber.
Also read: Further delays in Nawaz’s treatment can be fatal: Aurangzeb
The court asked whether the Nawaz was willing to submit anything as a surety. Pervez sought 15 minutes to confer with Shehbaz and the hearing begun once again.
Shehbaz has told the court that God willing, Nawaz would return to Pakistan. The additional attorney general said that the surety bond was just a legal undertaking that he would return. The court asked Shehbaz to submit his guarantee in writing before it passes any orders.
According to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), if Nawaz Sharif did not return to the country, regardless of the surety bond, contempt of court proceedings would be initiated himself.
NAB Stated that the surety bonds would just identify the properties and assets that would be seized by the court.
After hearing the arguments, the high court reserved its judgment on the maintainability of PML-N’s petition.
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