Click to play videoNew Delhi: Former Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif's brother Shahbaz Sharif is free to return to Pakistan.
The Chief Justice of Pakistan, Iftikhar Chaudhry, ruled on Thursday that Shahbaz, who is seeking permission to return home from exile along with his brother Nawaz Sharif, cannot be stopped from coming back.
The Sharif brothers have filed identical petitions in the apex court, seeking a directive to the government not to obstruct their return. Chaudhry further said they should be allowed to take part in General Elections scheduled for this year-end.
A five-member bench headed by Chaudhry noted that the Supreme Court had granted a similar relief in 2004 when it allowed Shahbaz to return to Pakistan.
"There is already a judgement by this court, which is intact," the Chief Justice remarked during a hearing on the petitions of the Sharifs.
"As far as the judgement is concerned, there is no dispute that one of the petitioners can get the benefit of the judgement and nobody can stop him," he said.
"The judgement clearly states that the petitioner is the citizen of Pakistan and can come back to his country. All the authorities in the country are bound to obey the judgement of the court. Nobody can flout the judgement of this court," the Chief Justice said.
Earlier, counsels for the Law Ministry, Raja Ibrahim Satti and Ahmed Raza Kasuri, requested the Apex Court to adjourn the proceedings as the Ministry had not prepared the case.
The hearing was adjourned for September 23 with the observation that no more adjournments would be granted on any ground.
(With agency inputs)
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