Daily Times

LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) vice president, Maryam Nawaz, again moved the Lahore High Court (LHC) to remove her name from the Exit Control List (ECL) after her petition was declared inadmissible.

The petition has been set for hearing by a two-member bench headed by Justice Ali Baqar Najafi on December 23 (Monday).

Maryam told the court that nine working days have passed but no decision has been made.

During the proceedings, Maryam’s lawyer Azam Nazir Tarar had said that the court should change her petition’s status to “pending” and direct the government to decide on the review application. However, the court said it didn’t want to increase pressure on the government by doing so.

According to sources, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) opposed removing Maryam Nawaz’s name from the Exit Control List (ECL).

Earlier, LHC had declared Maryam Nawaz’s petition seeking the removal of her name from Exit Control List (ECL) as inadmissible and directed her to approach the interior ministry.

Afterward, Federal Cabinet, under the supervision of Prime Minister Imran Khan, had opposed to sending her abroad.

Federal Minister for Water Resources Faisal Vawda urged the government not to exclude Maryam’s name from the Exit Control List (ECL). Several ministers, including PM Imran, agreed with his opinion.

Maryam and her father Nawaz, a three-time former prime minister, were placed on the ECL in 2018, following their conviction in the Avenfield reference.

It is pertinent to mention that on November 4, the LHC had granted bail to Maryam in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills case.