ISLAMABAD: Law Minister Dr Farogh Naseem said on Tuesday the federal cabinet took a unanimous decision to not file an appeal in the Supreme Court against the interim order of the Lahore High Court (LHC) giving one-time permission to former premier Nawaz Sharif to travel abroad on health grounds.
He was talking to the media along with Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan to share decisions of the federal cabinet meeting. The minister said the government’s right to appeal was intact and it would use its right after the LHC would hear the merits of the case of Sharif in January and give its final verdict. The reason for not filing the appeal was that the Supreme Court almost never heard appeals on interim orders of the high courts, he explained. He said the cabinet had earlier unanimously decided to give one-time permission to Sharif on the condition that he would furnish an indemnity bond of Rs7 billion.
The LHC, however, suspended the decision of the federal cabinet as far as condition of indemnity bond was concerned but it kept the government’s time limit of four weeks given to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo for his treatment abroad.
“We tried to take the indemnity bond from the Sharif family, however, Shahbaz Sharif refused to give the indemnity bond,” the minister said, adding there were court decisions about the indemnity bonds and giving permission to a convict to go abroad in light of the recommendations of doctors.
Dr Naseem said Sharif’s issue should not be politicised as it was not a personal matter for him or Prime Minister Imran Khan, adding the agenda was across the board accountability and creation of a corruption free society.
He also said details of Sharif’s case would be brought to the notice of the UK government, adding Pakistan’s High Commission in London would seek periodical reports from Sharif’s doctors on his health. “If Sharif will not return, then Shahbaz will face contempt of court proceedings,” he observed.
He said Sharif had a serious health issue and so he was allowed to go abroad. He also prayed for early recovery of former prime minister Sharif as well as Pakistan Peoples Party Co-chairman Asif Zardari.
The minister also said the government had started work on reforms in the criminal justice system, adding latest technology and forensics would be introduced to curb crime. He said provinces were preparing lists of prisoners above the age of 65 years to consider different options to provide relief regarding their sentences.
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