Govt to approach LHC for Nawaz’s return

AGP told to either ask court to bring back ex-PM or file plea against Shehbaz for submitting ‘fake’ undertaking

ISLAMABAD:

Federal Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry on Sunday said the government would file a petition in the Lahore High Court, seeking legal action against PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif as he had guaranteed the return of his brother, convicted former premier Nawaz Sharif, within a stipulated time but he had not.

The minister said the government had instructed the attorney general for Pakistan to request the LHC to either bring back Nawaz or take action against Shehbaz, the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly, as the latter had submitted an undertaking to the court ensuring his brother’s return to the country after receiving medical treatment abroad.

“The court should have taken suo moto notice of the matter and summoned Shehbaz Sharif but no action has been taken by the Lahore High Court thus far," Fawad said while addressing a news conference in Karachi. “[Because of this] the federal government has decided to file an application in the LHC to initiate proceedings against him [Shehbaz]. The minister said the high court should have questioned Shehbaz for submitting what he termed as "fake" undertaking.

“[According to the undertaking] Nawaz had to return in four weeks but he hasn’t even after two years have passed”. The announcement of filing a petition in the LHC has come on the heels of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s statement that it was ironic that even “convicted criminals” were harbouring dreams of becoming prime minister of the country for the fourth time.

Read: 'Either go to London or jail', Fawad tells Shehbaz

The premier had claimed that attempts were being made to set aside Nawaz’s sentence.
PM Imran’s remarks came as political circles were abuzz with speculations about abolishing the sentence handed down to the PML-N supremo, especially after the bar association of the top court said that it was willing to help end the disqualification of the former premier.

In November 2019, Nawaz had left the country after he signed a court-approved undertaking, saying that he would return to the country within four weeks. Shehbaz too had signed an undertaking, which stated he would "ensure return" of his brother "within four weeks or on certification by doctors that he has regained his health and is fit to return back to Pakistan".

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 on, upon his failure to appear before different courts, he was declared a proclaimed offender.
Now, the government believes that Nawaz is staying in London despite being healthy and, therefore, he should be brought back.

The information minister had recently pledged to bring Nawaz back to the country, revealing that issues had “largely been settled” with the UK for this purpose. Fawad while briefing the media after a cabinet meeting had said the government was working on a law with the UK for the last two years and on verge of removing all the anomalies in it. “We have addressed most of the lacunas in the law after working with UK for the last two years and we will bring him back,” Fawad had announced, quipping that the hearts of the residents of Jati Umra had sunk when PML-N leader Ayaz Sadiq had hinted that Nawaz was coming back. Jati Umra is the residence of the Sharif family.

“I am telling you that they [Sharifs] themselves would never return; we will have to bring them back,” the minister had maintained, adding that he had opposed the idea of allowing Nawaz to depart for London back in 2019.