NAB opposes Shahbaz’s plea on ECL ban

LAHORE: The National Accountability Bureau on Tuesday told the Lahore High Court that Leader of Opposition in National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif’s plea to remove his name from the Exit Control List (ECL) is against the basic principles of justice as his son has already fled to avoid a NAB inquiry.

A two-member bench headed by Justice Malik Shahzad Ahmad Khan was hearing Shahbaz Sharif’s petition challenging the government decision of placing him on the ECL. In pursuance of the court previous order, the NAB and the Cabinet Division furnished their replies to Shahbaz’s plea to lift ban on his international travel.

A NAB prosecutor submitted the reply and opposed the petition, stating that Shahbaz’s son Salman Shahbaz had already gone aboard without appearing before the bureau’s investigation team. He pointed out that Salman is deliberately avoiding a NAB inquiry. He argued that non-appearance and non-corporation of Shahbaz’s family members caused serious setback to the investigation as the NAB is facing difficulties to carry out thorough investigations.

A representative of the Cabinet Division informed the court that his ministry has nothing to do with the issue of including or excluding the name of an individual from the ECL as it falls under the domain of the Interior Ministry. At this, the bench sought a reply from the Interior Ministry and adjourned the hearing till March 19.

Shahbaz Sharif’s lawyer Azam Nazir Tarar contended that the ban on his client’s international travel is blatant violation of his fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution. He stated that the right to international travel besides right to liberty was an integral part of right to meaningful, satisfying and purposeful life. The PML-N president, through his counsel, stated that the impugned memorandum not only failed to disclose valid and correct reasons for its issuance but was also void for punishing him unheard. He contended that being the opposition leader and head of a political party, he required traveling within and outside the country. He asked the court to set aside the impugned memorandum of the government and order removal of his name from the ECL. The federal cabinet had approved placing Shahbaz on the ECL after the high court granted him bail in two NAB cases Ashiana Housing Scheme and Ramzan Sugar Mills.