ISLAMABAD: The Federal Cabinet Sub-Committee that pondered over the deposed premier Nawaz Sharif’s ECL issue from 9PM to 11PM here today, stated that it would present its recommendations to the Cabinet.
Meanwhile, the family of Nawaz Sharif has made it clear that they would not deposit surety bonds as they had already furnished sureties at the court.
A relevant piece published earlier:
Fed Cabinet says yes to remove Sharif’s name from ECL
ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet has given conditional approval to take the name of deposed PM Nawaz Sharif’s off the ECL here today on the condition of depositing security bonds.
Addressing a Presser following the cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan, Govt. Spokesperson Firdous Ashiq Awan revealed that 85-90 per cent participants of the meeting were of the opinion that Nawaz should be allowed to go abroad for medical treatment provided he meets certain conditions, including submitting indemnity bonds.
Law Minister Farogh Naseem shared recommendations given by the 14-member medical board examining Nawaz, NAB’s opinion and his own view with the cabinet in this respect. The prime minister then conducted a vote, in which a majority of the cabinet members favored removing Nawaz’s name from the ECL.
All members agreed that: Nawaz Sharif should not be given unconditional relief; He should be legally bound to surety bonds, indemnity bonds, security and fines imposed on him by courts; The permission to go abroad should be a one-time waiver; The relief should be time-bound. These conditions had been communicated to the family members of deposed PM Nawaz Sharif.
Nadeem Afzal Chan, PM’s spokesman, stated that the Cabinet had given its Sub-Committee the mandate to decide the process of removing Sharif’s name from the ECL.
Moreover, talking to the journalists Federal Minister for Railways Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed told the amount of the surety bods would be equivalent to the penalty imposed on him by the court in the Al Azizia case.
Fed. Cabinet’ Sub-Committee to decide Nawaz’s ECL matter today
ISLAMABAD: Federal Cabinet is attempting here today to decide whether to let deposed PM Nawaz Sharif leave the country by taking his name off the ECL or not.
Besides the Law Minister Farogh Naseem, who is charing the meeting there are Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Accountability Shahzad Akbar, Nawaz’s personal physician Dr Adnan Khan and PML-N leader Ataullah Tarar Interior Secretary Azam Suleman is also present in the meeting. Health Secretary Momin Agha submitted three medical reports, one of which recommends shifting of Nawaz Sharif for treatment abroad. Dr Mahmood Ayaz, head of the medical board which was examining Nawaz at Services Institute of Medical Sciences has also appeared before the Committee.
The recommendations of the Sub-Committee will be presented at the Federal Cabinet meeting today. Meanwhile, two Federal Ministers including Minister of Science and technology Fawad Ch. have opposed removing former PM’s name from ECL. These and other PTI activists had been pressuring PM not to allow Nawaz Sharif to go abroad maintaining that it would be a complete defeat of the government’s accountability narrative.
“We should learn a lesson from the departure of former military ruler Pervez Musharraf as he left the country on the same grounds which badly affected the PML-N government as it could not come to terms with the fact that the dictator evaded punishment…Even the PTI workers are texting the leadership not to allow Nawaz to go abroad,” those opposing taking Sharif’s name off the ECL held.
It is pertinent to mention here that the game of passing the buck took a new turn when NAB (that is plaintiff in the case against Sharif in which he was handed over 7-year sentence) refused to issue NOC regarding this matter on Monday 11th of November, 2019. However, NAB’s prosecutor, who had been summoned to present the Bureau’s stance, informed the committee that the body had no objection to sending Nawaz abroad for medical treatment on humanitarian grounds.
Marriyum Aurangzeb, PML-N’s Spokesperson, while informing that an air ambulance would arrive in Lahore tomorrow (Wednesday 13th of November, 2019) said that according to doctors the sooner Mohammad Nawaz Sharif was shifted abroad, the better it would be for his treatment: “Nawaz is already being administered with a high dose of steroids. His platelet count will be raised by injecting steroids and medicines so that he can travel.”
It is pertinent to mention here that deposed PM Nawaz Sharif was jailed after an accountability court found him guilty in the Al Azizia corruption reference. He got bail from IHC on humanitarian grounds. Later he was also granted bail by LHC in Chaudhry Sugar Mills case. Cynics wondering what malady could not be cured here in Pakistan, suspect that some deal had been struck between the incumbent goverment and former PM.
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