Pak govt withdraws plea against Lahore HC's order allowing Shehbaz Sharif to fly abroad

The Pakistan federal government has withdrawn its appeal from the apex court challenging the permission by the Lahore High Court (LHC) to opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif to fly abroad for medical treatment.

When a division bench of the Supreme Court resumed hearing of the petition on Wednesday, Shehbaz, through his lawyer Azam Nazeer Tarar, assured the bench that he would not pursue contempt proceedings against the government, reported The Express Tribune.

The Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Khalid Javed Khan also told the court that the government was withdrawing its plea as the former Punjab chief minister had decided to take back his contempt plea from the high court.

The bench later ordered an accountability court in Lahore to conclude the trial of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) expeditiously.

It also ordered the government to immediately fill posts lying vacant in the accountability courts, The Express Tribune reported.

Shehbaz Sharif's name had been placed on the Exit Control List (ECL) after approval from the federal cabinet, Pakistan's Interior Ministry informed.

Shehbaz submitted a contempt petition in the LHC against six officials for barring him from flying abroad in violation of the court's order granting him permission to fly.

On May 8, Shehbaz, the brother of three-time former premier Nawaz Sharif, was not allowed by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to leave the country for the United Kingdom via Doha. When he reached the Lahore airport, the immigration officials informed him that he could not board the flight as his name was on the 'person not in list' (PNIL).

Meanwhile, the interim order issued on May 7 by LHC granted Shehbaz conditional permission to go abroad for medical treatment "keeping in view the past conduct and travel history," and his name not being is not in ECL then.

The order also said even if Sharif's name was added in the blacklist it "will not stop the petitioner from one-time visit to the UK from May 8 to July 3 for his medical check-up as per his personal commitment made before this court."

A civil miscellaneous application, filed earlier by Shehbaz's counsel, said that Shehbaz intended to challenge the memorandum of putting him on the no-fly list by reserving his right to seek contempt proceedings against those not implementing the orders.

( With inputs from ANI )