LAHORE: A Lahore High Court’s two-judge bench would hear on Thursday (today) a petition of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) vice president Maryam Nawaz seeking return of her passport to visit her ailing father Nawaz Sharif in the United Kingdom.

The bench comprises Justice Ali Baqar Najafi and Justice Muhammad Anwarul Haq Pannun.

Through a fresh civil miscellaneous filed in her pending writ petition, Ms Nawaz contends that it was a known fact that her father was allowed to go abroad on account of his critical health condition. She said her father had not regained his health so far as he was still undergoing the diagnosis process as per a medical report filed with the court after duly attested by the Pakistan High Commission in London.

The petitioner submitted that in the absence of any charge sheet or trial, she had not been able to exercise her fundamental rights for the last about four years on account of surrender of her passport in compliance with the court order.

The PML-N leader pleaded that she was in a dire need to go abroad to attend to and inquire after the health of her ailing father. She asked the court to direct the deputy registrar (judicial) to return her passport in the interest of justice.

Earlier, the NAB had opposed the petition and return of passport to Ms Nawaz, which she had surrendered to the court when post-arrest bail was granted to her in Chaudhry Sugar Mills case. It said brothers of the petitioner and other family members were already in London to look after her father.

Published in Dawn, September 8th, 2022