Tariq Butt

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shahbaz Sharif on Thursday moved the Lahore High Court (LHC), seeking deletion of deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s name from the Exit Control List (ECL).

The LHC accepted the petition for hearing by a two-judge bench. Meanwhile, while addressing a press conference, Shahbaz said that the Imran Khan government has demanded “ransom” by asking the PML-N to submit indemnity bonds worth Rs7.5 billion to secure permission for Sharif’s travel abroad.

He reiterated that the government’s offer was not acceptable to the PML-N and referred to the recent chain of events as a “political game” staged by the prime minister.

“Two high courts have granted bail to ex-premier and have stated that he can avail treatment abroad or in Pakistan.”

The PML-N chief added that top lawyers have also publicly condemned the government’s conditional offer to Sharif. He elaborated that members of the government constituted medical board had also recommended the foreign treatment as Sharif suffers from multiple ailments.

He accused the government of playing “dirty politics” on the former prime minister’s health. He announced that the party’s legal team has approached the LHC against the government decision.

The government announced on Wednesday that Sharif will be given a “one-time” permission to travel abroad for his medical treatment for a period of four weeks. It said the permission would be subject to the Sharif family submitting an indemnity bond “to the tune of Rs7-5 billion.”

Shahbaz said the “political game” staged by Imran Khan and his team regarding the PML-N supremo’s health is condemnable. Imran can “neither give nor take an NRO [deal].”

He asked the government whether Sharif had submitted any indemnity or surety bonds when he had voluntarily returned to Pakistan from London in July 2018 after he was sentenced to serve prison time by an accountability court.

Harshly attacking the prime minister, Shahbaz said that Imran has a small mind, which was full of vendetta. “He wants to wave the indemnity bond to the people to claim that he has taken Rs7.5 billion from Sharif in exchange for his foreign travel and thus has fulfilled his promise to recover the looted money from the corruption politicians. Thus, he wishes to deceive people.”

The PML-N chief lauded the patience and perseverance of Sharif with which he has endured the hardships caused by his dismal health but has not compromised on his principles.

Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) President and former premier Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, who is an ally of the ruling coalition led by the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI), said that Imran should not carry a stigma on his forehead that would be difficult to wash about the health condition of Sharif.

Hussain said that Imran will have to control the storm which has started over the question of Sharif’s going abroad for medical treatment. He urged him to let Sharif go without creating any hindrance.

Commenting on different reports about Sharif’s departure, Hussain said in a statement that he has already stated that life and death is in the hands of Almighty Allah. Imran has been provided an opportunity by Almighty Allah, he said.

The PML-Q chief said as head of the country, Imran should not listen to people trying to create dent in the good decision of allowing Sharif to go abroad for medical treatment.

He said the rulers should pay attention to eliminate price hike and unemployment for which the government is being subjected to harsh criticism.

Hussain said Sharif was seriously ill and needed urgent medical treatment. He said the former premier should be allowed to get treatment from his choice doctors abroad.

The PML-Q chief said that Islam doesn’t allow anybody to play with the health of anyone.

According to a report, Sharif is a convict under the law but his convictions in two reference have become dubious because of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) ruling in one case and owing to the video scandal of accountability judge in the other.