Permission to travel abroad: SC questions LHC urgency in taking up Shahbaz case

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Tuesday questioned the urgency of the LHC in taking up the case of PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif and then allowing him to travel abroad.

The court issued a notice to Leader of Opposition in National Assembly and President PML-N Shahbaz Sharif and other respondents and summoned the case record from the Lahore High Court (LHC). A two-member bench of the apex court headed by Justice Ijazul Ahsen and Justice Sajjad Ali Shah admitted for regular hearing the appeal of the federal government against the Lahore High Court May 7 order, granting one-time permission to Shahbaz Sharif to go abroad. The court directed LHC to submit the entire record of the case regarding the filing of the petition by Shahbaz Sharif and details into its immediate hearing. The federation of Pakistan, through the secretary, Ministry of Interior, had challenged in the Supreme Court the order passed by the Lahore High Court on May 07 in the petition filed by Shahbaz Sharif challenging the placement of his name on the blacklist/no-fly list On Tuesday, Attorney General Khalid Javed questioned the procedure adopted by the Lahore High Court and expressed concerns over the speedy proceedings of the high court while taking up the case of Shahbaz Sharif and giving its decision as well. He submitted that on the Jumatul Wida, objections were raised on the petition of Shahbaz Sharif, which were removed and the same day the high court gave the decision without hearing the federation.