Govt, NAB submit replies over Nawaz Sharif's ECL plea

LAHORE: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in its reply on a plea seeking unconditional removal of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s name from the Exit Control List (ECL), challenged the jurisdiction of the court, ARY News reported on Friday.

The high court was not eligible to hear the petition, NAB said in its reply. Removing a name from the ECL is entrusted with the federal government, the accountability bureau further said.

It is responsibility of the government to ensure production of a convict in court in each hearing.

A high court could hear the case under Article 199 and in view of the decisions of the higher judiciary, Nawaz Sharif’s counsel Amjad Pervez argued.

The federal government also in submitted its reply in Lahore High Court (LHC).

A division bench of the high court headed by Justice Ali Baqar Najafi resumed hearing of the petition.

The government in its reply, comprises of 45 pages, opposed granting permission to Sharif without submitting required indemnity bonds and insisted that the condition for removal of his name from the ECL should not be set aside. He has been convicted and not been allowed to leave the country without a security deposit.

Additional Attorney General Ishtiaq Chaudhry submitted the government’s reply in the court.

The federal cabinet had given conditional approval to the former prime minister Nawaz Sharif to travel abroad seeking depositing an indemnity bond of Rs seven billion prior to removal of his name from the no-fly-list.