LHC reserves verdict on removal of Shehbaz Sharif's name from blacklist

(Karachi) The Lahore High Court (LHC) has reserved verdict on the removal of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif's name from the blacklist, local media reported on Friday.

As per details, the court reserved the judgment on a writ petition moved by Shehbaz on May 6.

During the hearing of the petition, Shehbaz Sharif told the court that he needs to travel abroad for medical treatment, therefore his name should be removed from the list.

He further told the court that he had traveled abroad for treatment purposes in the past too and came back to Pakistan.

The opposition leader stated that he has served as the provincial chief minister thrice and is not a terrorist so why his name was included in the blacklist.

He said that his name has been included in the blacklist in violation of fundamental rights. He requested the court to order the authorities concerned to remove his name from the list.

The PML-N leader had moved a writ petition in the LHC, stating that he was granted bail in the Ashiana-e-Iqbal and Ramzan Sugar Mills references, after which he went abroad and flew back after four months.

He stated that after his return, the federal government added his name to the blacklist without any reason.

On April 23, Shehbaz Sharif was released from Kot Lakhpat Jail after getting bail from the Lahore High Court in a money laundering and assets beyond means case.

Shahbaz was arrested in September 2020 in money laundering and assets beyond means case by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) after a court in Lahore had rejected his bail application in the money laundering case.

The NAB had alleged that Shahbaz's family had assets of around Rs16.5 million till 1990 which increased to over Rs7 billion in 2018.