Removal Of Nawaz Sharif's Name From ECL: LHC Adjourns Hearing Till Tomorrow

PML-N President has filed petition before LHC challenging govt's act of placing Nawaz Sharif's name on ECL.

LAHORE: (Urdu Point/UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News-Nov 14th, 2019) The Lahore High Court on Thursday put off till tomorrow further hearing on a petition moved by PML-N seeking directives for the Federal government to remove the name of former three-time Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif from Exit Control List (ECL).

A LHC division bench headed by Justice Ali Baqir Najfi heard the case filed by PML-N President Shehgaz Sharif. At the outset of the hearing, Advocate Amjadd Pervaiz appeared before the court and argued that Nawaz had already been allowed bail on medical grounds but federal government had created hurdles in the way of Nawaz Sharif by imposing conditions on him.
The lawyer said that Nawaz Sharif came back to Pakistan to surrender himself before the law of the land by leaving his ailing wife back in London.

The lawyer asked the court for order to the government regarding removal of Nawaz Sharif's name from the ECL. He also asked the court to allow Nawaz Sharif to go to London without any condition.

Earlier, in a press conference, Shehbaz Sharif said that the PTI's government was not demanding surety bond from Nawaz Sharif but it was a ransom which is being demanded. "They are doing politics on the illness of Nawaz Sharif," Shehbaz Sharif said, adding that what they (PTI) are doing is nothing but dirty kind of politics.

"We reject the PTI's decision of demanding surety bond from Nawaz Sharif," he futher said. He also said that their legal team had approached the Lahore High Court with a petition to seek a legal way for Nawaz Sharif for his treatment abroad.

On Wednesday, a sub-committee of the federal cabinet gave one-time four weak- conditional permission to Nawaz Sharif to go to London for medical treatment.

"Nawaz Sharif can go abroad after submission of surety bond of Rs 7 billion and anyone of both brothers can submit that surety bond," said the sub-committee. "We have delibrated on this complex matter and the government has the responsibility to deal with it with clarity," said the committee.
Shehbaz Sharif in his press conference said that it was just a political game being played by Prime Minister Imran Khan.

"This is very condemnable," said the PM, adding that "PM Niazi talks about NRO but one thing is sure that he cannot give or take any NRO,".

"They just wanted to tell the people that look we have taken money back from Nawaz Sharif," said Shehbaz Sharif and added that how it was shameful that the government was demanding surety bond from a man who made this country an Atomic power and set it right back on the track of development.

"Whether Nawaz had submitted any indemnity or surety bonds when he had voluntarily returned to the country from London in July 2018 after he was sentenced to serve prison time by a trial court in the Avenfield reference," said Shehbaz Sharif. He also said: "Nawaz Sharif came to Pakistan when his wife was ailing back in London,". He stated: "Two high courts have granted bail to Nawaz Sharif and said that he can avail treatment in Pakistan or abroad, but the government is doing politics on it," .

Shehbaz Sharif who was accompanied by Dr. Adnan Khan, the personal physician of Nawaz Sharif, said that the top lawyers of the country condemned the government's decision of making Nawaz Sharif's departure to London conditional with the payment of Rs 7 billion bond.

Shehbaz Sharif said the health issue of Nawaz Sharif was made a shuttlecock despite that the government's board said that Nawaz Sharif's treatment was possible in abroad. He said if anything happened to Nawaz Sharif he would hold PM Niazi as responsible.

He also came down hard upon the federal law minister saying that he pleaded the case of former military ruler Pervez Musharraf in a different way and now the same case of Nawaz Sharif was being dealt in a different way. "Zulfi Bukhari was not asked for any surety bonds before they went out of country," said Shehbaz Sharif.

Dr. Adnan also spoke to the reporters and said that there were serious threats to the life of Nawaz Sharif because of his unstable platelets and other issues.