Islamabad HC rejects petition against issuance of passport to Nawaz Sharif

Islamabad [Pakistan], April 18 : The Islamabad High Court has dismissed a petition seeking to prevent the expected issuance of a diplomatic passport to former premier and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif, reported local media.
The petition, filed on April 15 with Nawaz Sharif, interior secretary and foreign secretary named as respondents, stated that the government plans to issue a diplomatic passport to Nawaz Sharif, a convict, and an absconder and requested the court to restrain the government from doing so, reported Samaa TV.
However, the petitioner could not produce any order, direction or notification issued by the federal government.
At a hearing on Monday, the petition was thus rejected for the lack of any evidence to the petitioner's claims.
"It is noted that no evidentiary value was attached to the press reports and no reliance can be placed on it when a person claims a legal right on its basis. It was settled law that courts will not decide cases on the basis of press reports," the media outlet quoted Chief Justice Athar Minallah as saying.
The judge further said that the court had no reason to doubt that the government would act or pass an order which may be in derogation to the principles and law.
Noting that the petition was based on unreliable material, the court declared the application as frivolous and asked the petitioner to pay a fine of Pakistani rupees 5,000, reported the media outlet.
The developments come following the election of Nawaz Sharif's younger brother Shehbaz Sharif as the prime minister as the media reports said that the Ministry of Interior has been directed to renew the passports of Nawaz Sharif and his brother-in-law Ishaq Dar.
Further, PML-N leader Talal Chaudhry on Wednesday said that Nawaz Sharif is expected to return to Pakistan "before the next elections".
Nawaz Sharif, who is convicted in a corruption case, has been living in London on the "pretext of ill health" since November 2019, when the Lahore High Court had allowed him to leave the country for four weeks for medical treatment.
Shehbaz Sharif had given an undertaking at the time that the senior Sharif would return within the stipulated time. Later, Nawaz Sharif sought extensions to prolong his stay in London on medical grounds.
In August last year, Nawaz Sharif had filed an appeal with the British Immigration Tribunal after the Home Department refused to extend his stay in the country on "medical grounds" any further.
Nawaz Sharif can legally remain in the UK till the tribunal issues its decision on his plea for his stay in the country. His passport had expired in February 2021.