Verdict reserved on admissibility of plea against PM meeting ‘absconders’

Petitioner says oath does not allow Shehbaz to meet ‘proclaimed offenders’ Nawaz, Dar

ISLAMABAD:

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has reserved judgment on the admissibility of a petition filed against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's move of meeting people who have been declared proclaimed offenders by the Pakistani courts.

Chief Justice Athar Minallah heard the petition pertaining to barring Premier Shehbaz from meeting absconders.

During the hearing on Tuesday, the petitioner's counsel, Chaudhry Muhammad Akram Advocate, appeared before the court and took a stand that the prime minister should be barred from meeting the people whom the court has declared absconders.

The chief justice asked, “How to stop the prime minister? Which writ petition is made [in this regard]?”

The lawyer said that the picture of PML-N Quaid Nawaz Sharif with senior journalist Najam Sethi on a boat doing the rounds on social media shows that Nawaz is healthy, so “meeting the accused is a violation of the oath of Prime Minister Shehbaz”.

The chief justice asked, “How can the court stop the prime minister on just assumptions?”

The lawyer said that in the UK, Prime Minister Shehbaz met Nawaz and former finance minister Ishaq Dar.

Nawaz had been declared a fugitive by the court in the Panamagate case as he went to London for the treatment of an ailment and never returned while Dar was also declared a fugitive in the assets beyond means case.

The chief justice inquired as to where he had met them. The lawyer replied that Dar met the premier in London.

Chief Justice Minallah said, “Your application is premature and how can you look at it only on the basis of concern.”

After hearing the arguments, the court reserved its decision on the admissibility of the petition.