Federal cabinet places Nawaz, Maryam on ECL

ISLAMABAD: In its maiden meeting on Monday, the federal cabinet put the names of former prime minister and PML-N Quaid Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz on the Exit Control List (ECL) forthwith.

Chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan, the cabinet also took decisions to ensure austerity and accountability. It was decided that the accountability will start from the prime minister and cabinet members for which they will again declare their assets before the nation.

The cabinet discussed the implementation of 100-day plan of the PTI and decided to implement it to the letter. Imran Khan made it clear that the ministers will be free in exercising their authority in their respective ministries so that they should serve the people and produce the required outcome.

Briefing the media after the cabinet meeting, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry said the cabinet had withdrawn the facility for medical treatment of ministers and parliamentarians abroad on government expense.

He said the auction of extra luxury vehicles of the Prime Minister's House was also approved by the cabinet. Earlier, the prime minister announced not to use such cars.

Two committees have been formed to review heritage and general properties of the state to make them beneficial for the common people. It is understood that the committees would also look into disposal of governor and chief minister houses and guest houses across the country.

Fawad made it clear that employees working in these properties will be given complete service protection. He said the ministers and bureaucrats will restrain themselves from foreign visits and Prime Minister Imran Khan will not go on any foreign trip for the next three months.

With this, it is believed thatthe prime minister will not lead the country’s delegation in the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) annual summit to be held at the UN Headquarters in New York next month. He said the minister of water resources had been directed to present a report on the Diamer-Bhasha dam and other reservoirs.

The minister said the cabinet had approved placing the names of Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz on the ECL, while the legal procedure will be initiated to bring back Ishaq Dar, Hussain Nawaz and Hassan Nawaz from London.

He said the law ministry had been directed to approach the British government to get back the ownership of Avenfield properties belonging to the previous rulers. Fawad Chaudhry said an accountability task force had been established to bring back all illegal assets made by Pakistanis abroad.

He said eliminating corruption was an important part of the government’s policy and there will be no political appointments. Chaudhry said the cabinet did not discuss anything with regard to former military ruler Pervez Musharraf.

The federal minister also condemned the blasphemous caricatures. Meanwhile, the federal government has appointed former prosecutor of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Mirza Shahzad Akbar as special assistant to the prime minister on accountability. The Cabinet Secretariat notified the appointment on Monday.