Court instructs to submit written undertaking of Nawaz's travel

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Saturday instructed former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his brother Shehbaz Sharif to submit a written undertaking in regards to the former's travel abroad for medical treatment.

The court resumed hearing a petition filed by Shehbaz Sharif, the PML-N President, challenging the Imran Khan government's condition for his ailing brother to furnish a 7 billion Pakistani rupees indemnity bond to secure removal of the former leader's name from the no-fly list, reports The Express Tribune.

Additional Attorney General (AAG) Chaudhry Ishtiaq A. Khan said: "The government has no issue if Nawaz Sharif wants to travel abroad for his treatment but he has to satisfy the court first.

"Nawaz Sharif has the option of submitting the indemnity or surety bond money in the account of the court. If he does all this, then we have no issue with his leaving the country."

The PML-N President, while guaranteeing Nawaz Sharif's return to Pakistan following his treatment, told the court: "I am going with him. Nawaz will be back in the country after treatment."

To this, the court replied: "We can take an undertaking in writing from the Nawaz and Shehbaz. The federal government can also see it. This undertaking will be given in court. If the undertaking is violated then we have the contempt of court law."

On Wednesday, the Interior Ministry decided to grant Nawaz Sharif a "one-time" permission to travel abroad for medical treatment for four weeks provided he submits an indemnity bond.

The PML-N snubbed the condition and challenged it in the Lahore High Court on Friday.

( With inputs from IANS )