Court denies request from Pakistan’s Sharif to travel abroad

ISLAMABAD – The anti-graft tribunal trying Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday rejected his request to travel to London to see his ailing wife, who has been in treatment there since last year.

Sharif, along with his daughter, who is also accused of corruption, had appeared before the judge and sought permission to travel abroad for a week. Sharif’s political party said the court’s ruling was “disappointing.”

Sharif and his family have been facing investigations and legal proceedings since July, when the Supreme Court disqualified the thrice-elected premier from office over undisclosed assets.

Sharif has denied any wrongdoing and has blamed “hidden hands” for his dismissal.