Cabinet sub-committee holds meeting over Nawaz Sharif's ECL issue

ISLAMABAD: A meeting of the cabinet’s sub-committee has been convened to review legal aspects regarding the removal of the former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s name from Exit Control List (ECL), ARY News reported on Tuesday.

The meeting is also being attended by PM’s Special Assistant for Accountability Shehzad Akbar, Attaullah Tarar, Nawaz Sharif’s lawyer Munawar Duggal and his personal physician Dr Adnan which will deliberate removal of the ailing ex-premier’s name from the no-fly-list to permit him to go abroad for medical treatment.

Moreover, the officials of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) have also reached the Law Ministry to provide complete records to the sub-committee.

The sub-committee will make the final recommendations to the federal cabinet whether to allow the former premier to fly abroad on medical grounds due to his severe ailment.

Read: Ijaz Shah rules out impression of any deal with Nawaz Sharif

Earlier in the day, it emerged that three medical reports of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif were presented in the meeting. The reports clearly stated that the PML-N supremo needs to be sent abroad for treatment.

To this, Faroogh Naseem summoned NAB’s prosecutor to give his opinion in the matter after consultation with Justice (retired) Javed Iqbal.

NAB’s prosecutor in his reply said the bureau has no issue if the government removes Nawaz Sharif’s name from the ECL on humanitarian grounds, said sources.

The PML-N supremo had been granted bail by the Islamabad High Court in the Al-Azizia reference on medical grounds on October 26 after his health deteriorated and he was admitted to Lahore’ Services Hospital.

Read: LHC approached to stop Nawaz Sharif from travelling abroad

Later, the PML-N moved a plea, requesting the government to remove Nawaz’s name from the no-fly list so he can travel abroad and get treatment.

Earlier, NAB passed the buck of removing former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s name from the Exit Control List (ECL) on to the federal government.

In a rejoinder to the Ministry of Interior’s letter regarding a PML-N plea for removal of name of Nawaz Sharif from the no-fly list, the bureau demanded that the federal government decide the matter itself.

There are instances of the government removing a person’s name from the ECL on its own, NAB recalled, adding the government is the competent authority to do so.