The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday adjourned for December 26 the hearing of petition of Maryam Nawaz. The court deferred the hearing and observed that it cannot issue any order till the government's decision on the matter.

Earlier, a law officer told the court that a sub-committee of the federal cabinet had presented its recommendation to the cabinet which would take final decision on removing the name of Maryam Nawaz from the ECL. The court without naming Dr Babar Awan, an aide to the prime minister, wondered as to how he was giving a statement before the decision of this court.

Dr Babar Awan on Sunday last had said that the sub-committee of the federal cabinet that deals with ECL cases had rejected her plea. The LHC bench on December 9 had disposed of her earlier petition seeking exclusion of her name from the no-fly list to visit London to inquire after her ailing father Nawaz Sharif and directed the sub-committee of federal cabinet to decide on the matter within a week.

The counsel for Maryam stated that she had not been yet intimated about the fate of her representation despite the lapse of time given by the court. He pointed out that Maryam's representative Atta Tarrar had also appeared before the sub-committee but still no decision was taken. Maryam Nawaz contended that her father was allowed to go abroad on account of his critical health condition.

She said as per a medical report her father had not regained his health and was still undergoing diagnosis process. She was in dire need to go abroad to attend and inquire after the health of her ailing father. The petitioner's name had been placed on the ECL without notice and providing any opportunity of hearing. It argued that the impugned memorandum issued on the recommendations of NAB was violative to her fundamental rights as guaranteed by the Constitution.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2019