Shehbaz submits undertaking in LHC about Nawaz’s return to Pakistan

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday submitted a draft of the undertaking to the Lahore High Court (LHC), assuring former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s return to Pakistan.

LHC had asked for a written affidavit from the Sharif family guaranteeing that Nawaz will return to Pakistan after receiving treatment.

Earlier, the court had sought written assurances from the PML-N president. 

Shehbaz’s counsel Amjad Pervaiz told the court that former prime minister was ready to assure the court that he will return to Pakistan after he recovers. He added that the former premier was going abroad on the recommendations of the doctors.

The court also asked the PML-N president what role he would play to ensure that Nawaz returns to Pakistan.

During the the recess, Shehbaz’s lawyer submitted the two-page long draft of the affidavit in the court. 

The draft after being submitted to the court's associate was sent to the judges in their chamber.

According to the details of the draft, “Nawaz Sharif will return to the country as soon as he recovers after his treatment. He [Nawaz Sharif] will face his cases as soon as he returns to the country.”

The affidavit further said, Nawaz will return to the country as soon as the doctors allow him. “Nawaz Sharif is travelling abroad on the recommendation of the Pakistani doctors,” it added. 

Earlier, during the hearing the two-member bench comprising Justice Ali Baqir Najafi and Justice Sardar Ahmad Naeem set aside a few questions for the parties. 

In the first question the court asked if a convicted person can be removed from the Exit Control List (ECL). The second question asked whether it was possible that one-sided conditions be set for removing a person from the ECL.

The fourth question the court has put forward was whether the petitioners and the government can change their views on the indemnity bonds

The court also asked if the memorandum was issued on humanitarian grounds. It also asked whether anything can be separated in the memorandum. The bench also asked if the terms can also be separated.

To this, the Additional Attorney General Ishtiaq A Khan informed the court that the former prime minister can go abroad for treatment if he wants to.

On the other hand, Shehbaz’s counsel Pervaiz said that his client was in the room and would like to discuss the questions response with him.

To this, the court allowed a 15-minute recess so that the lawyer could speak to the PML-N president.

In yesterday's hearing, the LHC had dismissed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and the federal government's stance challenging the maintainability of the plea and called it admissible.

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