The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday accepted a petition calling for the names of ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his family members to be added to the Exit Control List (ECL), and will hold its first hearing of the case on Monday.
The petition, filed by lawyer Raees Abdulwahid, asks that the names of Nawaz Sharif, his children, Hassan, Hussain and Maryam, son-in-law Capt Safdar, and former finance minister Ishaq Dar be placed on the ECL and their accounts frozen.
The petition comes days after the Supreme Court (SC), in a landmark ruling on the Panama Papers case, ordered Nawaz Sharif to step down as prime minister.
The July 28 judgement concluded Sharif had been 'dishonest' by not declaring in his nomination papers for the 2013 General Election ─ as required under Section 12(2)(f) of the Representation of the People Act (ROPA), 1976 ─ a salary of 10,000 dirhams receivable as chairman of the board of Dubai-based company Capital FZE owned by his son Hassan Nawaz.
Explore: The technicality that led to Nawaz Sharif's disqualification
The apex court in its verdict had also ordered the National Accountability Bureau to open six references against the Sharif family and others. In its Executive Board Meeting (EBM) on July 31, the NAB chairman also ordered 16 pending inquiries against Nawaz and his brother, Shahbaz Sharif, to be completed.
The IHC Registrar's Office removed objections to Abdulwahid's petition, setting Aug 7 as the date for its first hearing.
The Supreme Court was also petitioned to place the names of members of the Sharif family and Dar on the ECL. The petitioner contended that those named in the petition may flee the country to avoid the NAB references ordered by the apex court in the prime minister’s disqualification verdict.
The petitioner pleaded for the bank accounts of the Sharif family to immediately be frozen and the money recovered from them to be deposited in the national exchequer.
