Nawaz's name to remain on ECL as interior ministry gives one-time permission for travel abroad

ISLAMABAD: In pursuance of the Lahore High Court’s (LHC) Nov 16 verdict on ex-premier Nawaz Sharif’s travel abroad, the Ministry of Interior on Monday issued a memorandum giving him one-time permission to travel abroad for medical treatment.

“In continuation of the Ministry’s memorandum of even number dated 13.11.2019. It has been decided by way of an interim arrangement to allow One Time Permission to Muhammad Nawaz Sharif s/o Mian Muhammad Sharif…..to travel abroad for his medical treatment for a period of 04 (four) weeks during his bail period,” read the memo.

“In compliance of the order of the Lahore High Court dated 16.11.2019 in W.P. NO. 68815/2019 which recorded undertakings given by Mian Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif and Muhammad Nawaz Sharif respectively.”

The Lahore High Court had on Saturday let former premier Nawaz Sharif fly abroad for four weeks without furnishing an indemnity bond as demanded by the federal government.

The two-member bench, headed by Justice Ali Baqir Najafi, ordered the federal government to remove the name of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supreme leader from the ECL without setting any conditions.

The bench, which was hearing the plea filed by PML-N seeking unconditional removal of Nawaz Sharif’s name from ECL, also maintained that the former prime minister can initially stay abroad for four weeks, but the duration is extendable on the basis of his medical reports.