Petition filed to take Sharifs off no-fly list

Lawyer reasons that the convicts are already in jail

LAHORE : A petition was moved to the Supreme Court on Monday seeking orders for the federal government to remove the names of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law Captain (retd) Muhammad Safdar from the Exit Control List (ECL).

Petitioner Barrister Zafarullah Khan of Wattan Party also prayed in his petition that the residences of the convicts be declared as sub-jails for undergoing sentence.

The petitioner contended that the newly-elected government in its first meeting had decided to put the names of Sharif, Maryam and Safdar on ECL.

Khan implored in his petition that they were not the habitual criminals. The decision of cabinet showed vindictiveness on its part by placing the names of the said persons on ECL.


The lawyer raised a question that why their names were put on the ECL when they have already been in jail. He contended that law does not permit violation of the fundamental rights of the individuals.
He prayed the court to declare their residences as sub jails to detain them.
He also asked the court to order the government to remove their names from the ECL, so they could visit ailing Kalsoom Nawaz in London after getting bails from the court of competent jurisdiction.