The second round of federal cabinet’s subcommittee meeting – headed by Law Minister Farogh Naseem – has begun on Tuesday to deliberate on removal of former prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif’s name from the Exit Control List (ECL).
The first sitting had ended without any conclusion earlier today in which the subcommittee had directed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to clarify its stance on Nawaz Sharif’s travel to abroad.
The subcommittee members had expressed strong anger over the accountability watchdog and asked it to clarify its viewpoint after talking to a ‘competent authority’.
Let it be known that the subcommittee is preparing its recommendations in the ongoing session and will forward them to the federal cabinet which will take the final decision under Prime Minister Imran Khan.
It has been learnt that notices regarding the subcommittee meeting were issued to all parties – including Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly and PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif, Secretary Health Punjab and medical board – to ensure their presence with required documents.
PML-N leader Ataullah Tarar is representing party president Shehbaz Sharif – who had filed the application to remove Nawaz Sharif’s name from the ECL – in the meeting.
Earlier on Monday, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) said the government itself should look into the matter of excluding Nawaz Sharif’s name from the ECL. The anti-graft watchdog had returned the matter to the interior ministry after it sent the PML-N supreme leader’s medical reports to the NAB.
Nawaz Sharif was scheduled to travel UK on Qatar Airways flight QR629 yesterday. However, his ticket had been canceled as the authorities did not remove his name from the ECL.
