LAHORE: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has written to the interior ministry requesting for placement of the names of Hamza and Salman, sons of president of the Pakistan Muslim League-N Shahbaz Sharif, on the exit control list (ECL).

“NAB has recommended to the ministry to place the names of Hamza Shahbaz and Salman Shahbaz on the ECL,” a NAB spokesman said in a statement issued on Friday.

The brothers are facing a NAB inquiry into the Ramzan Sugar Mills case.

According to NAB, the two in their capacity as directors got constructed a bridge linking to their mills out of public money in Chiniot. An amount of Rs200 million was approved by then chief minister Shahbaz Sharif for the construction of the bridge, it said, adding the bureau was also probing the brothers in an inquiry over possessing assets beyond their known sources of income.

Hamza, who is a member of the Punjab Assembly, is also facing inquiry into the Saaf Pani Company case for presiding over some meetings of the board of directors and allegedly issuing orders regarding award of contracts. NAB said Hamza was not even member of the board.

Salman has been in London and has skipped last three hearings in NAB.

A PML-N spokesman said Salman had never held a government office nor was he elected a lawmaker.

“Salman has been abroad and will return,” said party MNA Marriyum Aurangzeb.

She said Hamza had appeared before NAB several times and Salman had also appeared before it. Despite all reservations, the Sharif family was cooperating with NAB, she added.

Published in Dawn, November 17th, 2018