ISLAMABAD – The federal cabinet Tuesday gave go-ahead for filing a petition against PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif in the Lahore High Court (LHC) for submitting ‘false affidavit’ in fraudulently escaping convicted former prime minister Nawaz Sharif abroad.
Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry revealed it while briefing media about the decisions taken by the federal cabinet in a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan.
He termed Nawaz Sharif’s preceding abroad in guise of medical reasons an utter fraud. He said that Nawaz Sharif has been staying in London for 17 months, but he has not received any treatment. He said the Punjab Government has already rejected all the medical reports submitted by the Sharif family. He said Pakistan’s embassy in London tried twice to contact the Sharif family, but it did not cooperate.
Chaudhry said that the Shehbaz Sharif facilitated Nawaz Sharif’s escape from the country. He said the government will ask the court that Shahbaz Sharif should be disqualified for submitting a false affidavit or he should be bound to ensure return of his brother.
In November 2019, Nawaz had left for London after he signed a court-approved undertaking, saying that he would return to the country within four weeks after his treatment. Shehbaz too had submitted an undertaking, which stated he would “ensure return” of his brother “within four weeks or on certification by doctors that he has regained his health and is fit to come back to Pakistan”.
Nawaz was allowed to leave the country for a period of four weeks, extendable on the basis of medical reports. He left the country after he was released on bail from a seven-year sentence for corruption.
Later on, upon his failure to appear before different courts, Nawaz Sharif was declared a proclaimed offender.
