Daily Times

A Supreme Court bench on Tuesday dismissed a plea of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), seeking addition of opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif’s name in the exit control list (ECL).

A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Justice Mushir Alam heard the case.

The NAB had added Shehbaz Sharif’s name in the ECL while inquiring into assets beyond means case against him. The Lahore High Court (LHC) with an order removed his name from the ECL.

“Travel ban on Shehbaz Sharif was unnecessary when the high court issued the order”, the court observed. “Now the case has made sufficient progress,” NAB prosecutor argued.

“The court has to look into the circumstances, when the high court issued its order,” Justice Muneeb Akhtar remarked. “Shehbaz Sharif’s name surfaced in the case over suspicious bank transactions,” prosecutor said. He was accused of graft due to suspicious transactions,” the prosecutor further said. Justice Muneeb Akhtar remarked that suspicious bank transactions do not come within bounds of corruption.

“The court has interpreted the anti-money laundering law in Justice Faez Isa Case”, the court observed. “NAB has failed to read Justice Faez Isa Case verdict,” Justice Muneeb remarked. “NAB has been authorized under the anti-money laundering law,” Prosecutor Jahanzeb Bharwana said. “We know the accountability court has jurisdiction,” Justice Muneeb Akhtar said.

” Shehbaz Sharif has been in jail presently,” NAB prosecutor said. “When he is in jail, why to be named him in the exit control list,” the Justice questioned.

Meanwhile, an accountability court on Tuesday extended judicial remand of Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif and his son Hamza Shehbaz in a money laundering and assets beyond means case. Judge Jawadul Hassan ordered jail authorities to provide the PML-N president a bed inside his cell.