LAHORE: Justice Ali Baqar Najafi of the Lahore High Court on Wednesday sought reply from the federal government by May 26 in an application of Leader of Opposition in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif seeking implementation of court’s order allowing him to go abroad for medical treatment.
Earlier, the counsel of Shehbaz contended that the court had allowed Shehbaz to go abroad for his medical treatment but immigration officials at the Lahore airport had stopped him from boarding a reserved flight on the pretext that his name was also included in Provincial National Identification List (PNIL), another category of no-fly list, which was not updated yet.
The court at this asked the counsel to explain whether this application was maintainable after the name of Shehbaz was put on Exit Control List (ECL). And how the court’s interim order court could be implemented after the action of the government to put his name on ECL, the court further inquired.
The counsel asked the court to call reply from the respondent government which would clear the entire situation.
The court therefore asked the law officer to inform the court whether the name of Shehbaz was on ECL or not.
The law officer however opposed the application and said they should approach the concerned platform first.
The counsel of Shehbaz said it a matter of implementation of the court order and asked the court to get implement its order.
The court therefore sought reply from the respondent government and rose till next date of hearing.
Shehbaz Sharif had approached the Lahore High Court through a contempt petition but the registrar office of the august court had refused to entertain the petition saying the contempt petition did not fall in the category of the cases permitted to be filed during the enforcement of Covid-19 related SOPs.
However, the legal team filed an application asking the court to ensure implementation of its order wherein Shehbaz was given a one-time permission to go to the United Kingdom for medical treatment.
Shehbaz in his application pleaded that the excuse for not permitting him to proceed abroad was lame and false because a comprehensive mechanism as to updating of Integrated Border Management System (IBMS) placing or removal of names in the stop lists functions round the clock.
He said the respondents disobeyed and defied the court’s order deliberately and with malafide intention. The application asks the court to get its order implemented.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021
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