Govt won't allow Maryam to go abroad, says Vawda

ISLAMABAD: The government has decided that it will not remove Maryam Nawaz's name from the Exit Control List, said Federal Minister for Water Resources Faisal Vawda, on Tuesday.

The federal minister said that during a federal cabinet meeting today (Tuesday) Vawda had addressed the prime minister and told him that the government won't tolerate the 'platelet drama' for a second time.

"Every time the PML-N leader runs away and the workers get caught," he said. "This time if her name is removed from the ECL then we will challenge it in the courts."

Maryam filed a petition at the Lahore High Court a few days ago, requesting her name to be removed from the ECL so she can go abroad to visit her ailing father. Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif is seeking medical treatment in London.

Maryam was arrested in August 2018 after a corruption reference was filed against her at the National Accountability Bureau related to the Chaudhry Sugar Mills case.

The LHC on Monday asked the government to make a final decision about removing the name of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam from the Exit Control List (ECL) within the next seven days.

In her petition for bail, Maryam had stated that she wished to go abroad for six weeks, expressing concern over the deteriorating health of her father, who is currently in London for medical treatment.

She also challenged the legality of her name being placed on the no-fly list by claiming that her arguments in the case were not properly heard, and asked the court to remove her name from the ECL.