ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet on Tuesday decided to approach Lahore High Court (LHC) to seek disqualification of the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif for submitting a ‘fake affidavit” ensuring the return of his brother to the country.
Addressing a post-Cabinet press conference in Islamabad, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry asserted that PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif’s proceeding abroad on the pretext of medical reasons was an utter fraud.
He said Nawaz Sharif has been living in London for 17 months, but he has not taken any treatment. “The Punjab Government has rejected all the medical reports submitted by the Sharif family,” he said, adding that Pakistan’s embassy in London also contacted the Sharif family twice, but it did not cooperate.
“The government, through the attorney general for Pakistan, will request the court to direct Shehbaz to either take steps to bring his brother back or be disqualified for submitting a fake affidavit, which is a violation of Article 63 of the Constitution,” said Fawad.
The information minister further said that the cabinet has given a go-ahead for seeking legal action against the PML-N President as he had guaranteed the return of his brother after receiving medical treatment from abroad within a stipulated time.
“Shehbaz was fully involved in sending Nawaz Sharif abroad,” he said, adding the drama that was staged over Nawaz’s health was false.
Nawaz was allowed to leave the country for a period of four weeks, extendable on the basis of medical reports. Back then, the government had agreed to allow Nawaz to travel abroad, with the condition that indemnity bonds amounting to Rs7-7.5 billion be furnished.
The PML-N had rejected the condition and had taken the matter to the LHC, which ordered the federal government to remove Nawaz’s name from the Exit Control List without any conditions.
He left for London after he was released on bail from a seven-year sentence for corruption. Later, upon his failure to appear before different courts, he was declared a proclaimed offender.
‘Other decisions’
Meanwhile, the information minister said that the cabinet after being briefed about the Covid-19 situation has expressed the resolve to not impose lockdowns this time around, keeping the country’s economic situation in view.
Explaining that vaccine worth $2 billion has so far been used, Fawad hoped there would be no need for a lockdown this time around.
Fawad said that the prime minister and the cabinet expressed sorrow over the Murree tragedy, saying action would be taken once the inquiry committee submits its report.
While providing details of the incident, Fawad said that roughly 164,000 vehicles entered Murree, and people in only five vehicles died after inhaling carbon monoxide when they were stuck on a road between Guldana and Bariyan during a snowstorm.
The federal minister also said that the cabinet has tasked the premier’s special assistant on tourism to apprise the cabinet of measures taken to organise the tourism sector.
Fawad said that the PTI government was developing 13 new cities or tourist spots, saying not a single one was developed in the last 75 years.
Among other decisions, Fawad said that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) would be provided Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) before April 15, as ECP has said that local bodies’ elections should be held on April 15.
The minister further informed that the cabinet has directed the Ministry of Finance and interior to sit with the Board of Investment and deliberate upon a scheme where foreign citizens could be facilitated in buying properties in Pakistan.
