PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz Wednesday withdrew her petition from the Lahore High Court’s (LHC) division bench seeking the return of her passport to travel to Saudi Arabia for performing Umrah. This was the fourth division bench constituted after three division benches earlier recused from hearing her plea. As the division bench started the proceedings, Maryam’s counsel Advocate Amjad Pervez appeared on the rostrum and withdrew the petition saying that he had instructions from Maryam to withdraw the petition. “We will contest another petition she had filed earlier for seeking one-time permission to travel abroad for six weeks for the purpose of extra care of Mian Nawaz Sharif,” the counsel prayed. However, the bench headed by Justice Ali Baqar Najafi dismissed the petition as withdrawn. The second member of the bench was Justice Sardar Ahmad Naeem, says a news report. On April 21, the first division bench headed by Justice Syed Shahbaz Ali Rizvi recused from hearing Maryam’s plea on the ground that the relevant bench had already heard it and granted her post-arrest bail. The second member of that bench was Justice Anwaarul Haq Pannu. On April 26, the second division bench, headed by Justice Ali Baqar Najafi, recused from hearing her plea saying his colleague judge (the second member of this bench) Justice Farooq Haider is not willing to hear this matter owing to some personal reason. On the same day, another division bench, led by Justice Ali Baqar Najafi, recused from hearing the matter and the second member was Justice Asjad Javed Ghural. As proceedings commenced, Justice Najafi remarked that his colleague Justice Ghural is not willing to hear this petition owing to some personal reasons. Later a fourth division bench, led by Justice Najafi, was constituted and this time the second member of this bench was Justice Sardar Ahmad Naeem. The PML-N leader in her petition had requested the court to pass orders to the deputy registrar to return her passport which she had surrendered before him complying with LHC’s order on October 31, 2019. The petitioner had been granted post-arrest bail and was required to submit her passport before the authority.
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