ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court (SC) on Monday approved the plea of federal government against Lahore High Court’s (LHC) decision of allowing Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president Shehbaz Sharif to travel abroad for initial hearing.
During the proceedings of a divisional bench of the SC headed by Justice Ijaz-ul-Ahsan, Justice Sajjad Ali Shah the apex court has issued notice to Shehbaz Sharif and sought case record from the LHC.
The attorney general said that the issue is not of traveling abroad but judicial procedures. The way court had ordered to implement the decision is concerning, he added.
Justice Ijaz ul Ahsan asked if there was a medical emergency that led to an immediate hearing into the case.
To this, Attorney General Khalid Jawed Khan said that previously Shahbaz’s bail plea on medical grounds was rejected and there is no such record that he had a medical emergency.
“Even the Lahore court did not hear the government’s argument and gave a one-sided decision besides also directing to implement it,” the attorney general said.
When the apex court judge asked if a person released on bail is barred from traveling abroad, the attorney general while negating it asked if a person could go directly from jail to the airport.
Khalid Jawed Khan said that Shahbaz Sharif conveyed to the LHC that his name is on the blacklist, however, if the federal government’s reply was considered during the proceeding then they would have shared a factual position in this regard.
“His name is currently present on ECL,” he said during the Supreme Court proceedings.
The court issued notices to all the respondents in the case including Shahbaz Sharif while the court rejected the insistence to issue notice to the NAB and adjourned the hearing untill next Wednesday.
