The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Monday dismissed a petition seeking contempt of court proceedings against PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
\nThe petitioner had contended that the prime minister was the guarantor of his elder brother’s return to Pakistan after he gets medical treatment, however, he has yet to return \u2014 despite the passage of nearly three years.
\nIHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah, in the order, mentioned that his court could not take up the plea as it was already pending in the Lahore High Court (LHC).
\n“The petitioner has been heard at length. In response to the court\u2019s query, he has admitted that the petition wherein interim order was passed is pending before the learned Lahore High Court,” the order read.
\nThe order mentioned that the petitioner also admitted that the name of Nawaz was removed from the Exit Control List (ECL) pursuant to the decision of the federal cabinet \u2014 subject to certain conditions.
\n“…the removal of the name from the Exit Control List was not pursuant to an order or direction passed by any Court,” the order read.
\nThe conditions imposed by the federal cabinet were challenged before the LHC and they were suspended and modified vide an interim order, in 2019, the order mentioned.
\nThe IHC noted it appears that the said order was never challenged \u2014neither by the federal government nor the National Accountability Bureau \u2014 and, therefore, it stood implemented.
\n“The petitioner after arguing the matter at length has stated that he does not press the petition so that he may approach the competent forum,” it added.
\nDuring the hearing, IHC CJ Minallah also told the petitioner \u2014 lawyer Syed Zafar Ali Shah \u2014 that he was not imposing a fine on him as he was a senior attorney.
\nBrief timeline
\nNawaz arrived in London nearly three years ago in November 2019 in an air ambulance to seek further medical treatment for multiple diseases after he was allowed to leave Pakistan.
\nHe was accompanied by his brother \u2014 PM Shehbaz \u2014 and a personal physician as he was taken to his London residence at Avenfield apartments.
\nThe former prime minister had arrived in London for a few weeks only and he has been getting regular medical check-ups at the Harley Street clinic.
\nHe decided not to return to Pakistan and initiated his speeches to party workers from London and has been conducting party affairs ever since from here.
\nThere are reports that the PML-N wants him to lead the next elections campaign, but he has not finalised his plan to return to Pakistan.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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