AGP warns Shehbaz of contempt proceedings

The Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) on Monday issued stern caution to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif that contempt proceedings will be filed against him in case he fails to provide medical reports of his elder brother former premier Nawaz Sharif within 10 days.

The AGP office, in a letter, said as per the undertaking given by Shehbaz to the Lahore High Court (LHC), he was bound to provide regular “duly notarised” medical reports of his brother to the court. It was evident from the observations of the special medical board formed by the Punjab government to examine PML-N supreme leader’s medical reports, the letter pointed out, that Shehbaz has not fulfilled his obligation as per his solemn undertaking and order of the court.

In November 2019, Nawaz, who is convicted in a corruption case, 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, that stated he would "ensure the 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".

Read Govt to approach LHC for Nawaz’s return

“You are, therefore, prima facie in violation of your Undertaking and Order passed by the Lahore High Court dated 16-11-2019,” the letter read. The AGP warned that the office will be “constrained to initiate proceedings for breach of undertaking and violation of the order of the court in terms of Article 204” read with Section 3 of the Contempt of Court Ordinance, 2003.

The attorney-general said that the reports did not provide “any information about Nawaz’s current clinical evaluation, blood reports, imaging results and any interventional procedures so far”.  Therefore, he said, the medical board could not give its advice in light of the incomplete information as provided by the PML-N president.

He explained that before approaching the LHC in this regard, he has contacted the PML-N president to submit the medical report.

“Before initiating appropriate proceedings before the LHC for breach of undertaking and the order of the court, it is deemed appropriate that this letter is addressed to you for providing the medical reports as stated in the letter of the special medical board within a period of ten days of the receipt of this letter.”

The federal cabinet announced earlier this month that it would approach the Lahore High Court to seek disqualification of the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif for submitting a 'fake affidavit’ and over his failure to bring his brother, Nawaz, back to Pakistan from London.