Cabinet takes up Nawaz’ ECL issue today

ISLAMABAD: The sub-committee of the federal cabinet today (Tuesday) would take up the issue of removal of name of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif from Exit Control List (ECL) whose health condition is deteriorating with each passing day, sources told The News here.

The sources said the meeting of the sub-committee would be held under the chairmanship of Minister for Law and Justice Faroogh Naseem and it would present its recommendations to the federal cabinet that would also meet today (Tuesday).

The meeting of the sub-committee of the federal cabinet was earlier scheduled for Wednesday but due to the importance of the issue of removal of Nawaz’s name from ECL it would be held today,” the sources said.

The sources also pointed out that though the issue of removal of Nawaz’s name is not on the agenda item of the meeting of the federal cabinet but it can be included in the additional items any time before the meeting.

They said if the federal cabinet decides to remove Nawaz’s name from ECL, there would be no legal hurdle in shifting him to London for treatment of reason of his disease.

“The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in its reply to the letter of the federal interior ministry has maintained that the authority to remove name of Nawaz Sharif from ECL lies with the federal government so it cannot take any decision in this respect,” the sources said.

In its response, the NAB stated that there is neither a clear objection nor an approval for removing the name of the former prime minister off the ECL.

The sources said Prime Minister Imran Khan has summoned federal cabinet meeting on Tuesday (today) and the issue of removal of Nawaz’s name from ECL is likely to be taken up in light with the recommendations of the sub-committee, adding “Now the federal government is the only authority that can take final decision to remove name of former prime minister from ECL.”

The sources said some recent tweets by son of Shahbaz Sharif have also annoyed the government circles who think that the Sharif family members should not cast doubts about the decision-making process of the government.

The sources said it is due to the uncertainty surrounding around the decision of removing Nawaz’s name from ECL, the Sharif family has booked air tickets of a commercial flight besides hiring air ambulance to airlift Nawaz Sharif to London.

According to the details, air tickets of Nawaz Sharif, Shahbaz Sharif and Dr Adnan Khan have been booked for flight QR 629 of Qatar Airways on November 12 and at the same time an air ambulance has also been hired for Wednesday. The sources said the doctors governing health of Nawaz Sharif is continuously trying to ensure his platelet count rises up to 50,000 that would enable him to travel to London.