LHC gives govt seven days to decide on Maryam’s ECL plea
LAHORE: Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday has declared Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) vice president Maryam Nawaz’s petition seeking removal of her name from Exit Control List (ECL) as inadmissible and directed her to approach interior ministry in this regard.
A two-judge bench headed by Justice Ali Baqar Najafi was to hear the petition of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) vice-president Maryam Nawaz today (Monday) seeking removal of her name from the Exit Control List (ECL).
In her petition, Maryam has requested the LHC to declare the memorandum through which her name was placed on the ECL last year as “illegal, without lawful authority, void ab-initio and of no legal effect,” and direct the government to remove her name from the ECL.
“I have been regularly appearing in the courts and therefore, I should be granted permission to travel abroad till a final verdict on the petition,” Maryam requested in the petition.
Until this petition is decided, the PML-N leader has asked the LHC to grant her a “one-time permission” to travel abroad for six weeks from the date of departure.
The federal government, National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) director-general, passport and immigration director-general and others have been nominated as respondents in the petition.
Maryam simultaneously filed a miscellaneous application seeking the release of her passport. The LHC while granting her bail last month had directed the PML-N vice-president to surrender her passport to secure her release.
The court had granted bail on November 4 to Maryam Nawaz, who has been held in custody while facing trial on corruption charges. However, her name has been placed on no-fly list by the Ministry of Interior to bar her from going abroad.
It is pertinent to mention here that Maryam Nawaz wants to go London to look after her ailing father, Nawaz Sharif.
Nawaz Sharif, who is also on trial for corruption, was granted bail on health grounds last month. He is now receiving treatment in London.
Maryam Nawaz was arrested by anti-corruption agents in Lahore on Aug. 8 when she was visiting her father in jail.
