NAB wasn’t informed Hamza’s name put on ECL on its recommendation

ISLAMABAD: The name of leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly, Hamza Shahbaz, who was offloaded from a Qatar bound flight at the Lahore airport, has been placed on the Exit Control List (ECL) on the recommendation of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

However, NAB sources told The News on condition of anonymity that although some time back the anti-graft agency recommended to put Hamza Shahbaz’ name on the ECL in connection with the inquiry into the Ramzan Sugar Mills case, it had not received any confirmation from the Ministry of Interior in this behalf even as of Tuesday.

The NAB is generally informed after its recommendation to bar someone’s foreign travel is accepted by the Interior Ministry.

An official of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), which offloaded Hamza Shahbaz from the plane, said that his organisation has nothing to do with the clamping of the ban on the Opposition leader’s foreign travel. “We only executed the order.”

The federal government is armed with the authority of placing someone’s name on the ECL on the recommendations of various departments including the NAB.

NAB sources further said Salman Shahbaz’ name has also been put on the ECL. It was done after he had left abroad. Despite notices, he has not appeared before the NAB. Hamza Shahbaz said that he was going to London to meet his brother.

Hamza Shahbaz is almost clear in the Saaf Pani case undertaken by the NAB as the NAB sources said he had participated in two different meetings pertaining to this project but there are no directions given by him on the record, so his role in this case is yet being determined. His name did not appear in the reference that the NAB filed in the Saaf Pani case in the accountability court last week.

Apart from the Ramzan Sugar Mills case, the NAB is also investigating the allegation of the assets beyond means against Hamza Shahbaz, Salman Shahbaz and their father Shahbaz Sharif, who had been in the NAB custody for over two months in the Ashiana Housing Scheme case.

After the accountability court judge sent the former Punjab chief minister and leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly to jail last week, the PML-N announced to move the Lahore High Court for his bail.

Former deputy prosecutor of the NAB Raja Aamer Abbas says that the accused can move the high court for bail after he is sent on judicial remand. It is up to the high court to grant or refuse the bail, he said, adding that generally bail can’t be sought when the accused is in the NAB custody on physical remand.