A petition has been filed in a Pakistani court seeking the disqualification of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for allegedly making a “false promise” regarding the return of his elder brother, Nawaz Sharif, from the UK after receiving medical treatment.
The Lahore High Court (LHC) adjourned the hearing indefinitely, stating that the petition should have been filed during the previous government’s tenure when the promise was not fulfilled.
The petitioner, Azhar Abbas, argued that Shehbaz Sharif had submitted a “false affidavit” to the LHC in November 2019, stating that he would ensure his brother’s return within four weeks if he was allowed to go abroad for treatment. Despite being permitted to travel, Nawaz Sharif remained abroad and did not return to Pakistan as promised. The petitioner further alleged that Nawaz Sharif had feigned illness to secure court relief.
The petitioner pleaded for Shehbaz Sharif’s disqualification under Articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution. The Assistant Attorney General objected to the maintainability of the writ petition, stating that the petitioner was not an aggrieved party and that the federal government at the time had granted permission for Nawaz Sharif to travel abroad.
The court adjourned the hearing indefinitely. Nawaz Sharif, a former premier, was serving a jail term when he was allowed to leave the country on medical grounds in November 2019. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party’s chief, Imran Khan, has alleged that former army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa orchestrated Sharif’s release from jail and subsequently struck a deal with him. The PML-N party has stated that Nawaz Sharif will return to Pakistan once the date for the general elections is announced. The current government’s tenure ends on August 13, and elections are scheduled for October.
