ISLAMABAD: On Monday, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) dismissed a plea asking the court to stop the expected issuance of a diplomatic passport to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif by the incumbent government.
On Thursday, Advocate Naeem Haider Panjutha, had filed a petition in the IHC, referring to media reports that said Nawaz was being issued a diplomatic passport on the instructions of newly elected Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif
Earlier in the day, the IHC reserved its verdict on the petition and said that it could not decide on the matters without having any evidence of it. The court said that the petitioner could not provide any notification to prove his point.
The court while rejecting the plea also imposed a fine of Rs5,000 against the petitioner. “It is mandatory for an absconding convict to surrender himself to jail authorities,” the court said in its verdict.
“It is noted that no evidentiary value is attached to the press reports and no reliance can be placed on it when a person claims a legal right on its basis. It is settled law that courts do not decide cases on the basis of press reports,” the IHC chief justice observed.
On April 15, a petition was filed in the IHC by Naeem Haider who asked the court to ensure the arrest of Nawaz Sharif upon his return to Pakistan. “Nawaz Sharif is an absconding convict and therefore authorities should be barred from issuing a diplomatic passport to him,” it said.
Shehbaz Sharif after taking charge of his office got a briefing from the diplomatic staff about the issuance of a passport to the PML-N supremo. Pakistan’s mission in London was directed to issue diplomatic passports to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and former finance minister Ishaq Dar.
