LAHORE: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) barred Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader and former Punjab Education and Sports minister Rana Mashood from flying abroad at Lahore airport early Saturday. According to sources, Mashood who was travelling to the United States through a foreign airline was offloaded by Federal Investigation Agency authorities at 2am. He was later allowed to return home. The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) immigration authorities offloaded Rana Mashood at 2am on Friday night as he was flying to the United States. Rana Mashood was offloaded for being in the Exit Control List (ECL). The airport authorities kept waiting for the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) team to take Rana Mashood. After they did not reach till morning, Rana Mashood was allowed to go back home from the airport. FIA had mentioned it earlier to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) that Mashood might leave the country. In October, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Mashhood had stirred controversy by suggesting that his party would take over Punjab in the next two months. Mashood further suggested that party President Shehbaz Sharif had struck an understanding with the establishment, implying that his efforts did much to ameliorate the situation for the party. After the remarks, the PML-N rubbished Mashood’s claims and suspended his membership from the party. A three-member committee comprising Raja Zafarul Haq, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq and Rana Tanveer had been formed to probe the matter. Mashhood’s interview was also met with harsh criticism outside the party for “trying to sway the by-elections with misleading statement”. The party was quick to distance itself from the statement and termed it as ‘Mashhood’s personal opinion’. The ex-minister later retracted his remarks.