New Pakistani Govt removes PM Shehbaz Sharif, PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif from no-fly list

Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif. File Pic

The newly formed Pakistan government has removed several high profile names including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Punjab Chief Minister-elect Hamza Shahbaz, PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz from the Exit Control List (ECL) under a new policy, media reported citing sources.

Last Friday, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah had announced that the newly formed government had brought about changes in the rules for having an individual's name on the ECL, and through it, several thousands of people will have their names removed from the list, Geo tv reported.

He had said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had formed a committee to update the rules of including a person's name in the ECL.

"Therefore, with a quick pace, federal minister Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Asad Mehmood, Naveed Qamar, and Azam Nazeer Tarrar put forth their suggestions and the cabinet has approved it," Sanaullah had said.

According to government sources, the names of former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Ahsan Iqbal have also been removed from the ECL.

Sources added that the process of removing names from the ECL under the new policy will continue for the next few days.

Earlier, the new federal cabinet, in its maiden session on Wednesday, had granted approval to remove Finance Minister Miftah Ismail's name from the no-fly list.

As per local media reports, the names of more than 100 political personalities have been removed.

The names were placed on the ECL on the recommendations of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

Exit Control List (ECL) is an ordinance to provide for the control of the exit of certain persons from Pakistan who have been involved in any economic crime involving government funds, mass corruption, or misuse of authority.

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