IHC dismisses contempt plea against Sharif brothers

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday dismissed a petition seeking contempt of court proceedings against PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, ARY News reported.

The petitioner, Syed Zafar Ali Shah, had contended that former PM Nawaz Sharif went abroad with the permission of the Lahore High Court (LHC) due to illness and his brother [Shehbaz Sharif] had submitted an affidavit that the PML-N supremo would return after his recovery but did not, in fact, return.

The plaintiff had pleaded with the court to declare Nawaz Sharif an “offender” and contempt of court proceedings should be launched against both brothers.

The 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 — despite the passage of nearly three years.

IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah heard the case and dismissed the plea dismissed petition declaring it non-maintainable.

In the reserved order, Justice Athar Minallah maintained that his court could not take up the plea as it was already pending in the Lahore High Court (LHC).

The court noted that the said order was neither challenged by the federal government nor the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

The court rejected the petition against the Sharif brothers and declared it inadmissible.