PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif’s petition for removal of his name from the no-fly list has been approved by the Lahore High Court.
Shehbaz’s lawyer informed the court that the younger Sharif needed to travel to London for a doctor’s appointment on May 20. The court was made aware that the PML-N president has to be in the UK before that. “Shehbaz has already booked his ticket to Qatar for tomorrow'” said the lawyer, “Pakistanis traveling to the UK need to stay in Qatar for 10 days because of the travel restrictions.”
The deputy attorney-general remarked, “Shehbaz’s lawyer has not presented his return tickets which means that the PML-N president does not plan on coming back.”
On this, the court said that it is better if Shehbaz appears in person to provide an explanation.
Shehbaz’s name was put on the Exit Control List as he is being investigated by the National Accountability Bureau in a number of corruption cases.
He was released from jail on April 23 after a three-member bench of the Lahore High Court unanimously approved his bail in the money laundering case.
NAB has accused Shehbaz of laundering money and owning more assets than his known sources of income.
In December last year, the anti-graft watchdog had issued orders to freeze 23 properties owned by former Punjab chief executive and his sons, Hamza and Suleman, over claims they had acquired assets beyond their known sources of income and committed money-laundering.
According to the NAB, an investigation against Shehbaz, Hamza, Suleman, and others had revealed that the PML-N president had acquired properties in the name of his wives Nusrat and Tehmina Durrani.
PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal’s name added to the Exit Control List.
The Interior Ministry on Friday added PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal’s name to the Exit Control List.
Iqbal’s name was added to the ECL after the approval of the federal cabinet. The former minister is facing the Narowal Sports City reference filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). Last November a reference was filed against Iqbal.
It was initially approved at a cost of Rs34.74 million by the Central Development Working Party (CDWP), which Iqbal headed. NAB maintains that Iqbal illegally directed the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) and NESPAK to increase the project’s scope, enhancing the cost to Rs97.52 million.
NAB is investigating his involvement in the case, which is being heard by an accountability court in Islamabad. Iqbal has been summoned several times.
NAB had made a request to add Iqbal’s name to the no-fly list.
