ISLAMABAD: The federal government has decided not to allow Maryam Nawaz, vice president of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and daughter of former premier Nawaz Sharif, to travel abroad and rejected her application regarding this.
“The rules concerning placement of the name of persons on Exit Control List [ECL] do not allow the government to entertain her application to remove her name from the no-fly list,” said senior lawyer and aide to the prime minister Dr Babar Awan while speaking to media sources on Sunday.
Headed by Law Minister Farogh Naseem, the subcommittee of the federal cabinet that deals with ECL cases rejected her plea, as she had requested the facility for flying to London to look after her ill father, Dr Awan remarked.
Read More: Cabinet committee to discuss removal of Maryam Nawaz’s name from ECL
“In fact the subcommittee is part of the cabinet and a formal announcement to bar Maryam from travelling abroad will be made by the federal cabinet in its meeting [on Tuesday],” Mr Awan said.
PML-N says a petition has also been filed as the party is aware of the government’s ‘prejudice and vengeful mindset.’
The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf-government also suggested challenging the court’s decision in case the leader of the main opposition party was allowed by the judiciary to travel abroad.
In a talk show of a private TV channel, federal Minister for Water Resources Faisal Vawda said that the government would challenge the decision of the court if Ms Nawaz was allowed to leave the country by any court.
Read More: NAB files plea seeking cancellation of Maryam Nawaz’s bail
The PM’s aide on legal affairs while referring to the Exit from Pakistan (Control) Rules, 2010, remarked in terms of sub-rule (a) of the rules even if a person having valid travel document to proceed to any destination outside Pakistan, the government could stop them from leaving the country for being involved in corruption and loss to government funds.
While quoting rule 2 [c] of the said ECL Rules-2010, Dr Awan said a person who had been convicted by a competent court of law for any offence should remain on such list [ECL] so long as the said order was in force and till his/her conviction attained finality.
Referring to the departure of her father Nawaz Sharif on medical grounds after his conviction in a corruption case, the PM’s aide claimed: “It is unfortunate that those who went abroad on the pretext of critical health condition are not getting medical treatment there, but enjoying stay in palatial houses of which they denied their ownership and had failed to prove the money trail.”
Earlier, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan after the meeting of Dec 18 of the PTI’s core committee, they had also said that the government would not accept Maryam’s request.
“The prime minister and the core committee reiterated their resolve to uphold the belief that no one is above the law and there are no holy cows,” she had added.
According to her, the request by Ms Nawaz to travel abroad to meet her ill father had been thoroughly debated upon in the core committee meeting.
Read More: Maryam Nawaz allowed immunity from court appearances
She said the core committee had observed how a completely fit person could be allowed to leave the country just to look after her ill father.
However, she added, the government would “decide the matter based on the recommendations provided by the subcommittee”.
