Sharifs’ pleas for removal of names from ECL rejected

Islamabad, Feb 9 (IANS) Pakistan's Interior Ministry on Saturday rejected pleas of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law Muhammad Safdar seeking removal of their names from the Exit Control List (ECL).

In October last year, Sharif, his daughter and son-in-law had separately written letters to the ministry stating that Rule 2 of Exit From Pakistan Rules 2010 did not apply to them as they "were not involved in corruption, misuse of authority, terrorism or any conspiracy" and thus their names should be removed from ECL.

According to the News International, all the three were informed about the rejection of their applications. The report cited anti-corruption body's sources as saying that now all the three had no other option but to approach the court for the sake of removing their names from ECL.

The decision to place the names of the former Premier, his daughter and son-in-law was taken during the first federal Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan on August 20, 2018.

In July last year, an accountability court in Islamabad had convicted the three in the Avenfield properties corruption case and sentenced them to 10 years, seven years and one year respectively in prison.

Sharif and Maryam Nawaz were released from jail on September 19 after the Islamabad High Court suspended their sentences in the case.

However, in December, an accountability court in Islamabad sentenced Sharif to seven years in prison in Al-Azizia Steel Mills corruption reference, while acquitting him in the Flagship Investment reference.

The anti-corruption watchdog, while sentencing Sharif, had ruled that Al-Azizia Steel Mills - a Saudi Arabian firm carrying the name of his son - belonged to the former Prime Minister, who was unable to demonstrate how the project was funded.