LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday granted permission to provincial Opposition Leader Hamza Shehbaz to travel abroad for 10 days, reported ARY News.
It is pertinent to note that Hamza submitted a petition in court to remove his name from the Exit Control List (ECL).
A single judge bench headed by Justice Muhammad Farrukh Irfan Khan issued a notice to the Federal Investigation Agency and summoned a reply as well.
The court also ordered the provincial opposition leader to return back within the granted period of time and face rest of the inquiry.
During the hearing, Hamza’s counsel Azam Nazeer Tarar contended before the court that his client wanted to travel abroad due to his wife’s illness.
In response, the additional attorney general said the court had already made a decision pertaining to judicial jurisdiction.
“Remember what the chief justice of Pakistan said regarding placing a chief minister’s name on the ECL. He stated that placing a CM’s name on the no exit list ruins the country’s reputation worldwide,” Justice Khan remarked. “Keeping the aforementioned precedent in mind, how can a provincial opposition leader’s name be included in the ECL?”
He added that, “Why did an assumption prevail that the opposition leader will not return?” In response, the additional attorney general informed the court that Hamza’s name was not on the ECL but instead his passport was blacklisted.
Towards the end of the hearing, Hamza’s counsel contended before the court that his client did not even leave the country during former president Pervez Musharraf’s era. “His uncle was the prime minister, his father was the chief minister but still his name was placed on the list.”
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