ISLAMABAD, May 12 (APP):Minister for Interior Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on Wednesday said the sub-committee of Federal Cabinet’s Exit Control List (ECL) had recommended to include the name of Shehbaz Sharif in the ECL.
Addressing a press conference here after the sub-committee’s meeting, Sheikh Rashid said the committee after reviewing the recommendations of National Accountability Bureau, decided to forward the same to Federal Cabinet for approval to put the name of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz President Shehbaz Sharif on the ECL.
The committee’s meeting was attended by Minister for Law Farogh Naseem, Minister for Interior Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, and Advisor to the Prime Minister on Accountability Shehzad Akbar.
Flanked by Advisor Shehzad Akabar, he said Shehbaz Sharif might file a review petition with the Interior Ministry within 15 days, which would decide the matter within 90 days.
Shehbaz Sharif might have to appear personally, he added.
The minister said three lists of ‘accused persons’ were maintained, who were needed to stop from travelling abroad. The first one was the black list, which was maintained by the Passport Office and the Provincial Identification List (PNIL) was the second one maintained by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), while the third was the Exit Control List (ECL) and the Federal Cabinet had the authority to put anyone’s name on it.
He said the sub-committee unanimously agreed to NAB’s request of putting Shehbaz’s name on the ECL as the Bureau was pursuing corruption against the PML-N leader.
Sheikh Rashid said the Interior Ministry had “not received any request (from Shehbaz Sharif for permission to travel abroad) citing medical grounds”. Such requests filed by the the PML-N leaders in the past had mentioned medical grounds, he added.
Shehzad Akbar said it was the prerogative of a prosecution agency to recommend placing the name of an accused on the ECL.
He said Shehbaz Sharif had been facing multiple cases, which were under trial in various accountability courts. All the cases would be delayed if he was allowed to leave the country. His absence would also infringe the rights of his co-accused, he added.
He said the Sharif brothers were not acquitted in the Hudaibiya Papers Mills case, which was closed by the court due to technical reasons as it was not properly pursued.
Factually, he said, the case had not come to its logical conclusion. It could be reopened on the basis of `new evidence’, he said and termed the arguments of PML-N leaders in that regard misguiding.
Shehzad Akbar said the government’s legal team reviewed the Hudaibiya Papers Mills case from different aspects, and concluded that ‘the mother of all corruption cases’ could be reopened.
A case closed on technical grounds could be reopened if new evidence was found which was not earlier part of it, he added.
The money laundering was committed in the names of Qazi family in the case, he added.
Shehzad Akbar said the PML-N was adept in misleading the people as it was hyping the narrative that Shehbaz Sharif had been acquitted in that case.
He said exoneration in a case was only possible after trial. All the evidence was placed before the courts, which after recording witnesses gave their verdicts, which was not in the case of Hudaiybia case, he added.
Shehbaz Sharif, he said, in fact was trying to flee from the country to avoid trial in the Hudayibia case. In 2000, the Sharifs had left the country to Jeddah after striking a deal with General Musharraf and on their return to the country, they managed to close the case in connivance with the then NAB chairman and the federal government.
It was on record that the then attorney general had told the Lahore High Court that the government did not want to pursue the case, he added. As NAB did not file the appeal against the LHC verdict within the prescribed time, the Supreme Court rightly dismissed it for being time barred, he added.
Shehzad Akbar said in the Hudayibia case, the confession of former finance minister Ishaq Dar recorded under Section 164 by a judicial officer could not be retracted.
He said the Sharif Empire was created through money laundering in 90s, which was further strengthened in the last two decades since 2000.
Sheikh Rashid endorsed the arguments of Shehzad Akbar, saying Shehbaz Sharif attempted to flee abroad because he was afraid of the reopening of the Hudaibiya Papers Mills case.
To a question about progress on the review of a ban on Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), the interior minister said its leaders were allowed to appear in person to request a review. About 1,677 of the TLP workers arrested under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) had been released. Some 280 first information reports were registered and those nominated in them would have to undergo the legal process, he added.
To a question, the minister said the prime minister’s recent visit to Saudi Arabia remained very fruitful as Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman was a friend of Pakistan.
Prime Minister Imran Khan was a true lover of Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), as he along with his all delegation members walked barefoot in Madina, he added.
To another question, Sheikh Rashid said around 1,100 Pakistani prisoners would be brought back from Saudi Arabia and lodged in local jails. Some 22 detainees involved in drugs-related cases and eight others facing murder charges would remained in Saudi jails.
The prime minister had been requested to provide Rs 1 billion rupees for paying fines of those hundreds of Pakistani prisoners detained on trivial charges since 2005, he added.
The minister strongly condemned Israeli airstrikes on Gaza that resulted in deaths and injuries to Palestinian civilians, including children.
