LAHORE: The federal government on Tuesday objected to the maintainability of a writ petition heard by the Lahore High Court seeking disqualification of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for not ensuring the return of his elder brother former premier Nawaz Sharif as promised by him in an affidavit to the court.

Justice Sultan Tanvir Ahmad heard the petition filed by a citizen, Azhar Abbas.

Assistant Attorney General Sheraz Zaka questioned the maintainability of the petition saying the petitioner was not an aggrieved person in the matter. He said former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was allowed to travel abroad by the federal government of the time.

The law officer argued that the petitioner had a remedy to approach an appropriate forum if he believed there was any offence.

He said the petitioner could not directly approach the high court.

He further said that the petitioner did not approach the court with clean hands and the court had fined him for filing frivolous petitions in the past. He asked the court to dismiss the petition as not maintainable.

The judge asked the petitioner’s counsel whether his client approached the federal government during the last three and a half years since Nawaz Sharif went abroad.

At this, the counsel asked the court to decide the petition on its merits.

The judge directed the petitioner’s counsel to furnish further documents to substantiate his arguments. The judge adjourned the hearing for a date to be fixed by the office.

The petitioner had contended that PM Shehbaz had filed an affidavit before a two-judge bench of the high court that he would ensure return of his elder brother within four weeks as he was allowed to have medical treatment abroad.

He said PM Shehbaz had undertaken to bring his brother back soon after recovery of his health.

He contended that Nawaz Sharif had been travelling to Europe and Gulf during the last many years but was not returning to Pakistan as undertaken by PM Shehbaz.

He asked the court to disqualify PM Shehbaz under the provisions of article 62 and 63 of the Constitution.

Published in Dawn, July 5th, 2023