LHC seeks AGP’s assistance in Maryam’s ECL plea

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Tuesday sought assistance of the attorney general of Pakistan with PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz’s petition seeking one- time permission to travel to London to see her ailing father former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

“We want to hear the point of view of the attorney general on the issue in hand,” Justice Ali Baqar Najafi, heading a two-judge bench, told Additional Attorney General Ch Ishtiaq A Khan. The judge asked the law officer to apprise the bench of the availability of the top law officer Khalid Javed Khan so the next hearing could be fixed.

“The federal government has already filed its reply in this case,” Khan said apparently to persuade the bench that the attorney general will have the same view as the government took in its reply.

However, Justice Najafi observed that the bench would like to hear the AGP as well. “We would summon him through an order if he cannot appear,” the judge said to the additional AG.

Khan, however, said the attorney general will definitely appear whenever required by the court. The law officer argued that the Punjab government has rejected Nawaz Sharif’s plea seeking extension in his stay for eight weeks in London and after rejection, Maryam’s instant petition plea has automatically become worthless.

The bench adjourned the hearing with direction to the additional AG to inform it about the availability of the attorney general so it could fix next hearing. Later, the bench fixed March 11 for next hearing.

Earlier, advocate Azam Nazir Tarar argued on behalf the petitioner and stated that the doctors in London advised surgical procedure to Nawaz. He said the petitioner has already lost her mother and voluntary returned to the country to serve sentence by an accountability court. He said Nawaz has not regained his health so far as he is still undergoing diagnosis process as per fresh medical reports filed with the court.

The counsel argued that the petitioner is in a dire need to go abroad to attend her ailing father. He referred to a Sindh High Court decision wherein an under-trial prisoner was allowed to travel abroad once. He said the name of the petitioner be removed from the Exit Control List (ECL) and she be given a one-time permission for six weeks to travel to London.

The NAB special prosecutor furnished his reply to the Nawaz Sharif medical report while the federal government has already submitted its reply.