ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet in today’s meeting deliberated on a request by PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif to remove his brother Nawaz Sharif’s name from the no-fly list so that he can go abroad for medical treatment.
Sources relayed that discussion on the matter lasted about two hours as Prime Minister Imran Khan, who chaired the meeting, listened to the cabinet members’ viewpoint on the issue.
When the participants were asked to raise their hands if they were in favour of removal of the former premier’s name from the Exit Control List (ECL), all of them raised their hands except three ministers who opted to abstain from the voting.
The sources said among those who voted in favour of Sharif travel abroad were the ministers who have been vocal in their critique of the former premier.
Prime Minister Khan too voted in favour of the former prime minister, they added.
Some of the ministers demanded that a guarantee be elicited from the PML-N that he would return to the country after treatment.
“We are making such a decision on the humanitarian grounds,” sources quoted the prime minister as saying that during the meeting.
“Nawaz Sharif lied about his health in the past,” PM Khan noted, adding when the PML-N supremo is really unwell nobody is buying into the fact.
“Nawaz Sharif is severely ill. He should be allowed to travel out of the country for the time being,” he said, directing a sub-committee of the cabinet to decide the matter regarding removal of his name from the no-fly list and elicit a guarantee from PML-N Shehbaz Sharif that his elder brother will return to the country to face cases after treatment.
