The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday reserved its verdict on maintainability of a petition seeking court orders to put names of ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his family members on Exit Control List (ECL).
The petition has pleaded the court to put the names of Nawaz Sharif, his children, Hassan, Hussain and Maryam, son-in-law Capt Safdar, and former finance minister Ishaq Dar on the ECL.
It also urged the court to issue orders for freezing the accounts of the respondents.
A single member bench of IHC comprising Justice Amir Farooq on Monday heard the petition. During the hearing, Justice Farooq asked the petitioner counsel whether the court can issue such order. The counsel said that IHC had the powers to direct Interior Ministry to put the names of former PM and his family members on ECL.
After hearing arguments, the court reserved it order on maintainability of the petition.
The petition comes days after the Supreme Court (SC), in a ruling on the Panama Papers case, ordered Nawaz Sharif to step down as prime minister.
The July 28 judgement concluded Sharif had been ‘dishonest’ by not declaring in his nomination papers for the 2013 General Election ─ as required under Section 12(2)(f) of the Representation of the People Act (ROPA), 1976 ─ a salary of 10,000 dirhams receivable as chairman of the board of Dubai-based company Capital FZE owned by his son Hassan Nawaz.
The apex court in its verdict had also ordered the National Accountability Bureau to open six references against the Sharif family and others. In its Executive Board Meeting (EBM) on July 31, the NAB chairman also ordered 16 pending inquiries against Nawaz and his brother, Shahbaz Sharif, to be completed.
