'Shehbaz's name on ECL is govt's formal admission of committing contempt of court'

Marriyum Aurangzeb accused Prime Minister Imran Khan of committing contempt of court.

ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb Monday said the announcement of putting Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif’s name on the Exit Control List (ECL) is the federal government’s formal admission of committing contempt of court.

Marriyum Aurangzeb said in her statement that the government has gone blind in taking political revenge and, instead of giving people relief from inflation, has put the PML-N president on the ECL on the first day after Eid holidays. She accused Prime Minister Imran Khan of committing contempt of court.

It is pertinent here to mention that Minister for Interior Sheikh Rashid announced earlier today that Shehbaz Sharif’s name has been put on the ECL. Holding a press conference, the minister said that a notification to this effect has been issued and the relevant departments have been informed about it accordingly.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had recommended to put Shehbaz Sharif’s name on the ECL as it was investigating a corruption case of seven billion rupees against him, he pointed.

Sheikh Rashid said that the cases against Shehbaz Sharif will get affected if he leaves the country. Five members of Sharif family are already absconders and residing in London.

It would have been difficult to bring Shehbaz Sharif back home like his elder brother if he was also allowed to travel abroad, he told. He said there was also a possibility that he could temper the evidence or use the influence on the approvers in the case if he was permitted to leave the country.

Sheikh Rashid said Shehbaz Sharif was the guarantor to bring Nawaz Sharif back home and that instead of bringing his brother back, he himself was trying to flee the country. The PML-N president has not submitted any of his medical reports yet, he added.

The interior minister further said that four accused in cases against Shehbaz Sharif have turned into approvers. The opposition leader can file petition within 15 days in this regard, he went on to say.