Doctors advise Shahbaz to take rest for 3 more weeks

LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-nawaz (PMLN) President and leader of the opposition in the National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif, struck by the COVID-19, has been advised another three weeks’ rest by the doctors.

He has filed a request in the Lahore High Court ( LHC) for extension of his interim bail.

He submitted his petition in connection with the ongoing money-laundering case against him.

He sent a miscellaneous petition, requesting to be excused from personal appearance on the next hearing.

His petition said that an interim bail has already been granted by the LHC in the cases of assets beyond means and money-laundering.

He had submitted surety bonds worth Rs500,000 following approval of the interim bail.

He was supposed to sign the bonds himself, but was unable to do so as he contracted the deadly coronavirus.

Doctors at the Mayo Hospital and Ittefaq Hospital advised the former Punjab chief minister to take rest for another three weeks. The certificates from the medical facilities were attached with the petition.

Shahbaz contracted coronavirus after he had appeared before the LHC to seek interim bail and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) investigators to answer their questions two weeks back.

Since his quarantine, Shahbaz has suspended his political activities and confined himself to issuing press statements, commenting on different government polices.

It is uncertain whether he will be able to attend physically or through video conferencing an all parties’ conference being convened by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal.

Meanwhile, the Lahore High Court has formed a seven-member larger bench to conduct hearing on two petitions filed against new Model Town JIT.

LHC Chief Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan will head the bench which includes Justice Malik Shahzad Ahmed Khan, Justice Alia Neelum, Justice Asjad Javaid Ghural, Justice Sarfaraz Dogar, Justice Farooq Haider and senior most judge of the LHC, Justice Muhammad Ameer Bhatti.