LHC fixes hearing of plea on removal of Nawaz Sharif from ECL

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) has fixed the hearing of a petition filed against the conditions placed for the removal of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s name from the Exit Control List (ECL).

An LHC two-member bench will resume the hearing from January 20 on the petition related to the conditions set for the removal of Nawaz Sharif’s name from the no-fly-list. Earlier, the high court had approved the petition of Nawaz Sharif against indemnity bonds, whereas the court also summoned lawyers to give arguments on five legal points.

The court will hear arguments on the points questioning the legality of permitting a convicted person to travel abroad; the conditions placed in the memorandum could be separated; placement of condition by the government under ECL ordinance; issuance of an orderfor an ailing person on humanitarian basis; placement of conditions after the approval of bail; whether the conditions will empower the court orders after the placement of conditions.

The LHC had suspended the condition set by the federal cabinet for the submission of Rs 1.5 billion surety bonds by Nawaz Sharif prior to leaving the country for getting medical treatment abroad. On October 25, the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) supreme leader and former premier Nawaz Sharif had been granted bail on medical grounds by the Lahore High Court (LHC).

A two-judge bench of the Lahore High Court headed by Justice Baqir Ali Najafi approved the PML-N supreme leader’s bail plea in a case pertaining to the Chaudhry Sugar Mills owing to his precarious health situation. Later on October 26, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) also granted Nawaz bail on medical grounds in the Al-Azizia case. A division bench of the IHC comprising Chief Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani approved the bail of the PML-N supremo until Tuesday against two surety bonds of Rs 1 million each. Nawaz had departed for London in an air ambulance via Doha on November 19.