Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who is currently in London for treatment, has been declared an absconder by the Pakistan government. The government has approached the UK for his extradition.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who is currently in London for treatment, has been declared an absconder by the Pakistan government. The government has approached the UK for his extradition.
Adviser to the Prime Minister on Accountability and Interior, Shahzad Akbar, said that Sharif's four-week bail on medical grounds had expired in December last year.
"The government is treating him (Sharif) as an absconder and has already sent a request to the British government to extradite him," Akbar was quoted as saying by the Dawn News on Saturday.
Last month, Sharif had informed a Lahore court that he is unable to return to the country as his doctors have advised him not to go out due to the coronavirus pandemic as he has low platelet counts, diabetes, heart, kidney and blood pressure related problems. He had submitted his medical reports to the Lahore High Court (LHC) through his counsel.
Akbar said the government would also request the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to pursue Sharif's extradition. The Pakistan government looked into legalities of guarantees of Shahbaz Sharif, who was supposed to escort his elder brother back to Pakistan after his medical treatment.
His comments came after a new picture was shared on social media which showed Sharif walking on the London streets with his son, Hassan Nawaz, holding an umbrella.
"His stroll on London roads is a slap in the face of the judiciary and the government cannot allow this. There is nothing personal in it, we are only trying to implement the law and fulfill its requirements," the adviser was quoted as saying.
The 70-year-old three-time premier is currently in London for treatment after he was diagnosed with an immune system disorder. He left for the UK in November 2019 after the Lahore High Court granted him four-week permission to go abroad for treatment. Akbar alleged that Sharif submitted fake lab reports.
The adviser said that on October 29 last year, the court granted Sharif eight-week bail for treatment within Pakistan and on November 16, he got four-week permission to travel abroad for treatment.
He said that the former prime minister was supposed to keep the court and the Punjab government updated about his treatment by sharing the details of the process of his treatment and test reports which he did not do.
Akbar said that Sharif applied to the Punjab government for bail extension on February 19.
"A medical board was constituted which sought details of medical procedures being done and test reports of Sharif, but nothing was shared," he said.
Akbar added that the law ministry, NAB and the prison department were informed about the bail expiry and rejection of its extension when the medical board got nothing as evidence document.
He said the UK government was also informed about the development on March 2 with a request for his extradition.
Commenting on recent pictures of Sharif, Akbar said that the former prime minister looked perfectly fine in the pictures being shared by his sons, the daily reported.
His daughter Maryam Nawaz had said her father was a high-risk patient therefore his cardiac catheterisation/coronary intervention had been postponed owing to COVID-19.
(With inputs from agencies)
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 "Nawaz Sharif")
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