PM Imran directs legal team to review LHC verdict

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday directed the government's legal team to review the Lahore High Court's (LHC) decision that allowed Nawaz's name to be removed from the Exit Control List and present a report in the next cabinet meeting. 

READ MORE: Nawaz Sharif’s name to be removed from ECL for four weeks

Sources said that the legal team would present the report in the upcoming session of the cabinet meeting. The prime minister and his cabinet members will prepare a strategy on how to deal with the situation during the meeting as well, as per sources. 

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Saturday permitted to remove former prime minister Nawaz Sharif's name from the Exit Control List (ECL) without any conditions for a time period of four weeks. 

On Friday, the LHC called the plea admissible regarding the removal of former premier Nawaz Sharif’s name from the ECL on a conditional basis — the government had said it would allow a 'one-time permission' provided Nawaz Sharif deposited surety bonds worth Rs7-7.5 billion.

In its decision, the LHC said that in case Nawaz's health doesn't improve then the time-period can be extended, adding that the government officials will be able to contact Nawaz through the Pakistani embassy.

During the hearing today, the LHC presented petitioner Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and the federal government’s counsels a proposed draft on the undertaking.

The High Court earlier said that it would create its own draft of Shehbaz’s undertaking guaranteeing the return of his brother — Nawaz Sharif — to Pakistan, after the siblings and the government's counsels could not reach an agreement on the phrasing of the draft and its terms.

PM Imran on a two-day break to spend time with family 

Prime Minister Imran Khan has decided to cancel official and party engagements for two days and will spend his weekend in Bani Gala along with his family, sources said.

According to sources, the official and party schedule of the prime minister for Saturday and Sunday was cancelled. The prime minister did not preside or hold any meetings on Saturday and it is expected he will not take any meetings today either.

The prime minister’s meetings and party meeting are generally held at his Bani Gala residence.

Last year, while addressing a ceremony marking the 100 days of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government in power, the prime minister had said he had taken only a single holiday since coming into the government.”