Pak court orders govt to remove Shehbaz Sharif's name from no-fly list

A Pakistani court Tuesday ordered the government to remove Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz chief Shehbaz Sharif's name from the no-fly list.

Shehbaz, who is also the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, had filed a petition in the Lahore High Court last month to have his name removed from the Exit Control List, Geo TV reported.

The 67-year-old leader has been indicted along with nine others in the Ashiana Iqbal Housing scam case. His name was placed on the travel blacklist on February 22 for allegedly possessing assets beyond his declared sources of income.

His counsel earlier told the court that the PML-N leader had been appearing before the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in every inquiry and cooperating with the anti-corruption watchdog in every way.

Sharif was arrested by the NAB in the probe on October 5, 2018. He was released on bail on February 14.

He had approached the Lahore High Court seeking declaration of the government's decision to place his name on the no-fly list as null and void.

In his petition, he had contended that as the leader of the opposition as well as of one of the country's largest political parties, his name should not be on the ECL.

Sharif served as the chief minister of the politically crucial Punjab province from 2013 to 2018. He became PML-N president after his elder brother Nawaz Sharif was barred from holding the top party position and public posts.

Federal Information Minister Fawad Chaurdhy Tuesday said that the government would be challenging the Lahore High Court's decision in the Supreme Court.

"There is a record of Sharif family members leaving the country and not coming back, said Chaudhry.