LHC adjourns hearing on Maryam Nawaz's plea for removal of name from ECL

A two-member bench of LHC heard Maryam Nawaz's plea.

LAHORE (Dunya News) – Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday has conducted hearing on Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) vice president Maryam Nawaz’s plea seeking removal of her name from Exit Control List (ECL) and return of passport. During the proceedings, Justice Tariq Abbasi asked why Maryam Nawaz wants to travel abroad over which lawyer of PML-N vice president said that she wants to inquire about the health of her ailing father Nawaz Sharif. Meanwhile, National Accountability Bureau (NAB) prosecutor said that Maryam Nawaz’s passport cannot be returned as she is a convict. Subsequently, the court has adjourned the hearing till first week of February after Maryam Nawaz’s lawyer sought time for preparation. Earlier, during the hearing of a case pertaining to excluding Maryam Nawaz’s name from ECL, the PML-N leader stated that she wants to be with her ailing father Nawaz Sharif who is currently in London for medical treatment. No one else knows medical history of Nawaz Sharif better than me, she added. In November, Maryam Nawaz had been granted bail by LHC in Chaudhry Sugar Mills case against two surety bonds worth 10 million and submission of her passport. On August 8, NAB team had detained Maryam Nawaz outside the Kot Lakhpat Jail in Lahore for skipping appearance in Chaudhry Sugar Mills due to meeting with her father Nawaz Sharif. Maryam Nawaz was unable to provide the required details of foreign investment in sugar mills while she was also failed to satisfy the bureau regarding source of income for purchasing the shares. NAB had also claimed that three foreigners had transferred 11000 shares worth millions of rupees on Maryam Nawaz’s name. On July 19, accountability court had turned down petition of NAB claiming Maryam Nawaz had produced a bogus trust deed in Avenfield reference. Judge Mohammad Bashir had declared anti-corruption watchdog’s appeal as unmaintainable and ruled that no action can be taken in this regard until the decision of Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Maryam’s petition against the Avenfield properties verdict. On July 6, 2018, accountability judge Mohammad Bashir had convicted former premier Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz in Avenfield properties reference and sentenced them 10 years and 07 years imprisonment, respectively. In the verdict, judge Bashir had declared that “The trust deeds produced by the accused Maryam Nawaz were also found bogus… In view of the role of this accused Maryam Nawaz, she is convicted and sentenced to rigorous imprisonment for seven years with fine of two million pounds.” She was arrested and shifted to Adiala jail. Later, in September 2018, and was released from jail after the Islamabad High Court suspended her prison sentence.