‘Nawaz’s passport expires, to be given travel chit for return’

By News Desk

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Interior Sheikh Rashid Ahmed formally announced on Tuesday that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s passport would be expiring at midnight, but the government could issue an emergency travel document at his request for travel to Pakistan.

“As per legal obligations, the passport of those who are on the Exit Control List (ECL) cannot be renewed. Today, the passport of Nawaz Sharif will expire,” Rashid told a news conference here.

Since August 20, 2018, Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz have been on the ECL at the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) request. “The cabinet had also included Maryam on the ECL,” Rashid said, once again saying the passport of a person whose name is in the ECL cannot be renewed.

However, the minister said if Sharif wanted to travel to Pakistan, he could be issued an emergency travel document within 72 hours, but Sharif had not made any such request so far.

Sharif had flown to London on November 19, 2019 on medical grounds. The government had allowed the former premier to travel abroad after the Lahore High Court ruled that he could leave for medical treatment for four weeks, which could be extended based on medical reports.

Rashid said the one-time permission granted by the court was “misused” by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader. He further said the LHC’s ruling also stipulated Sharif to return to Pakistan, “but he neither complied with it nor submitted any reply [on the matter] so far”.

On Maryam Nawaz, the minister mentioned that she herself said she would not request her name be removed from the ECL. “We have not asked for any application. It is up to an applicant to apply or not,” he added.

About the upcoming Senate elections, he said: “Under Prime Minister Imran Khan’s leadership, Pakistan Tehreek-Insaf will win the Senate election with majority. “There will be no surprise. The political and constitutional issues will be resolved after Senate elections,” he said.

Commenting on the opposition parties’ planned march towards Islamabad, he said the government would welcome the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) to the federal capital, “but no one would be allowed to violate the law”.

The interior minister said the government had recently granted permission to PDM to stage a rally outside the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) office. He also urged the PDM leadership to delay the march due to Ramadan.