LAHORE: Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court Mohammad Ameer Bhatti on Monday constituted a full bench to decide a petition of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) vice president Maryam Nawaz, seeking the recovery of her passport, which she had surrendered to the court for bail in a case.

The bench, which will be headed by Justice Bhatti himself, was constituted after several judges recused themselves from hearing her petition. The full bench now also consists of Justice Ali Baqar Najafi and Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh.

The matter will be taken up for hearing on Sept 14.

In her petition, Ms Sharif contended that it was a known fact that her father, Nawaz Sharif, was allowed to go abroad on account of his critical health condition.

She claimed her father had not regained his health so far as he was still undergoing the diagnosis process as per a medical report filed in the court after being duly attested by the Pakistan High Commission in London. She submitted that in the absence of any charge sheet or trial, she had not been able to exercise her fundamental rights for about four years on account of surrendering her passport in compliance with the court order.

The PML-N leader pleaded that she was in dire need to go abroad to attend to and inquire after the health of her ailing father. She asked the court to direct the deputy registrar (judicial) to return her passport in the interest of justice.

Earlier, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had opposed the petition seeking the return of Ms Sharif’s passport, which she had surrendered to the court when post-arrest bail was granted to her in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills case.

Published in Dawn, September 13th, 2022