Supreme Court dismisses NAB's ECL plea for Shehbaz Sharif

ISLAMABAD: A Supreme Court bench on Tuesday dismissed a plea of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), seeking addition of opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif’s name in the exit control list (ECL), ARY News reported.

A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Justice Mushir Alam heard the case.

The NAB had added Shehbaz Sharif’s name in the ECL while inquiring into assets beyond means case against him. The Lahore High Court (LHC) with an order removed his name from the ECL.

“Travel ban on Shehbaz Sharif was unnecessary when the high court issued the order”, the court observed. “Now the case has made sufficient progress,” NAB prosecutor argued.

“The court has to look into the circumstances, when the high court issued its order,” Justice Muneeb Akhtar, a member of the bench, said.

“Shehbaz Sharif’s name surfaced in the case over suspicious bank transactions,” prosecutor said. He was accused of graft due to suspicious transactions,” the prosecutor further said.

Justice Muneeb Akhtar remarked that suspicious bank transactions do not come within bounds of corruption.

“The court has interpreted the anti-money laundering law in Justice Faez Isa Case”, the court observed. “NAB has failed to read Justice Faez Isa Case verdict,” Justice Muneeb remarked.

“NAB has been authorized under the anti-money laundering law,” Prosecutor Jahanzeb Bharwana said. “We know the accountability court has jurisdiction,” Justice Muneeb Akhtar said.

” Shehbaz Sharif has been in jail presently,” NAB prosecutor said. “When he is in jail, why to be named him in the exit control list,” the Justice questioned.