LHC rejects govt, NAB objections, admits Nawaz's petition for removal of name from ECL
- By Web Desk -
- Nov 15, 2019
LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday rejected a plea by the federal government and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) seeking to dismiss a petition of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif for being “non-maintainable.”
A division bench, headed by Justice Ali Baqir Najafi, ruled that this court can hear the PML-N supremo’s petition through which he sought directives for the government to strike his name off the no-fly list so that he can go abroad for medical treatment.
The bench earlier today reserved its ruling after hearing arguments of lawyers representing the federal government and the NAB raising objection to the jurisdiction of the LHC to entertain Nawaz Sharif’s petition.
The judges held that the LHC has the jurisdiction to hear the case as petitioner Shehbaz Sharif and his brother Nawaz Sharif reside in Lahore, which falls within the high court’s constitutional limits.
The bench will resume hearing the case tomorrow at 11:30am.
The high court was not eligible to hear the petition, NAB said in its reply, adding removing a name from the ECL is entrusted with the federal government.
A high court could hear the case under Article 199 and in view of the decisions of the higher judiciary, Nawaz Sharif’s counsel Amjad Pervez argued.
The federal government also submitted its reply in Lahore High Court (LHC).
The government in its reply comprising 45 pages, opposed granting permission to Sharif without submitting required indemnity bonds and insisted that the condition for removal of his name from the ECL should not be set aside. He has been convicted and not been allowed to leave the country without a security deposit.
Additional Attorney General Ishtiaq Chaudhry submitted the government’s reply in the court.
The federal cabinet had given conditional approval to the former prime minister Nawaz Sharif to travel abroad seeking depositing an indemnity bond of Rs7 billion to secure removal of his name from the no-fly-list.