Shehbaz Sharif to challenge govt's decision of putting him on no-fly list in IHC

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President and opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif will challenge the federal government's decision of putting his name on the Exit Control List (ECL) in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) next week.

The opposition leader on Saturday approached the Lahore High Court (LHC) to withdraw his petitions against the government for placing him on a blacklist and seeking implementation of the court orders that gave him a one-time permission to go abroad for medical treatment, reported The News International.

A civil miscellaneous application, filed by Shehbaz's counsel Senator Azam Nazir Tarar, said that Shehbaz intended to challenge the memorandum of putting him on the no-fly list by reserving his right to seek contempt proceedings against those not implementing the orders.

It also sought permission from the court to withdraw the main petition against being his placing on the blacklist, and a subsequent application for implementation of the order allowing him a visit abroad.

The next hearing of the pending petitions of Shehbaz is fixed for May 26 when the federal government is supposed to file its written reply as directed by the judge.

The counsel told The News International that a decision for challenging the federal government decision to place Shehbaz's name in the ECL for political reasons has already been made.

Shahbaz's name had been placed on the ECL after approval from the federal cabinet, Pakistan's Interior Ministry informed.

Shahbaz submitted a contempt petition in the LHC against six officials for barring him from flying abroad in violation of the court's order granting him permission to fly.

The petition said that the reason given for not permitting opposition party Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz's (PML-N) President to go abroad for medical treatment was "lame and false" and the respondents "committed gross contempt of the honourable court".

On May 8, Shahbaz Sharif, the brother of three-time former premier Nawaz Sharif, was not allowed by the FIA to leave the country for the United Kingdom via Doha. When he reached the Lahore airport, the immigration officials informed him that he could not board the flight as his name was on the 'person not in list (PNIL)'.

Meanwhile, the interim order issued on May 7 by LHC granted Shahbaz conditional permission to go abroad for medical treatment "keeping in view the past conduct and travel history," and his name not being is not in ECL then.

The order also said that even if Sharif's name was added in the blacklist it "will not stop the petitioner from one-time visit to UK from May 8 to July 3 for his medical check-up as per his personal commitment made before this court."

( With inputs from ANI )

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