Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Accountability Shahzad Akbar has said that the decision of Lahore High Court (LHC) on removal of Nawaz Sharif's name from Exit Control List (ECL) is an endorsement of the government's stance.
Addressing a news conference along with Attorney General Anwar Mansoor Khan on Sunday, the special assistant said, "According to law, the name of a convict cannot be removed from Exit Control List. However, only a one-time permission was granted to Nawaz Sharif on humanitarian grounds to let him proceed abroad due to his health condition. The court has taken a written undertaking from them instead of an indemnity bond."
Shahzad Akbar said that the cabinet decided to grant one-time permission to Nawaz Sharif, specifically for medical treatment. He said this permission was duration-bound for four weeks.
"The first point was only a one-time permission should be granted, the second was that Nawaz Sharif would travel abroad for treatment, the third was that he would return back to face cases against him and the fourth was to guarantee his return [to Pakistan]," he maintained.
He said it was also decided that upon completion of his treatment, Nawaz Sharif will return to the country and face the cases against him. His return would also be ensured, he said.
He said that Sharif family has a precedent of not returning to the country when granted permissions to go abroad. He said the amount of surety bond for Nawaz Sharif was determined on the basis of sentences awarded to him in various cases.
Shahzad Akbar said that violation of undertaking given by PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif to Lahore High Court will be a criminal offence. He said the verdict of court will be discussed in the cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
He said that the government immediately acted on the verdict given by the LHC for removal of former premier Nawaz Sharif's name from the ECL for travelling abroad for medical treatment.
The special assistant said that Sharif's sons and the father-in-law of his daughter are fugitives. "He is not Sadiq (truthful) and Amin (trustworthy) and obtained a certificate for that from the court," he said.
"We know how much you have respect for the courts [...] the indemnity bond was to be given by Shehbaz Sharif; whereas the court has taken written undertaking from both of them," he said, adding that they had been breaking their promises in the past.
"A government representative can verify medical certificates, and the written undertaking has guaranteed their return," he said, adding if they violated, this would be a serious crime.
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