Pakistan govt denies permission to Maryam Nawaz to travel abroad

Islamabad, Dec 23: The Pakistan government has denied permission to PML-N vice president Maryam Nawaz to travel abroad, saying those involved in any economic crime and institutional fraud could not be allowed to leave the country, according to a media report on Monday.

Maryam, the 46-year-old daughter of Pakistan's former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, was placed on the no-fly list in August 2018 in an alleged corruption case.

"The rules concerning placement of the name of persons on Exit Control List (ECL) do not allow the government to entertain her application to remove her name from the no-fly list," Babar Awan, senior lawyer and aide to the prime minister on legal affairs, was quoted as saying by the Dawn News. Headed by Law Minister Farogh Naseem, the subcommittee of the federal cabinet that deals with ECL cases rejected Maryam's plea, as she had sought the facility for flying to London to look after her ailing father, Awan said.

Sharif, the PML-N supremo had left for London on November 19 in an air ambulance to seek medical treatment in London, a month after the three-time premier was released on bail from a seven-year prison sentence for corruption.

Referring to the ECL rules, Awan said even if a person has valid travel document to proceed to any destination outside Pakistan, the government could stop them from leaving the country for being involved in corruption and loss to government funds. Maryam would not be allowed to proceed abroad as those involved in any economic crime, embezzlement of large government funds and institutional fraud could not get permission to leave the country, he said.

Earlier, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information Firdous Ashiq Awan after the December 18 meeting of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf's (PTI) core committee had also said that the government would not accept Maryam's request.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) in a statement issued on Sunday said, the government's decision to bar Maryam from travelling abroad did not surprise anyone, considering that the PTI regime had always been desperately looking for opportunities to victimise and persecute the PML-N leadership. "The decision of the sub-committee has no logical reason for keeping Maryam on the ECL," PML-N Information Secretary Marriyum Aurangzeb claimed.