ISLAMABAD: Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry on Saturday said the government will challenge the decision of the Lahore High Court (LHC) to allow Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shahbaz Sharif to travel abroad and said his counsel has so far sent no request to remove the latter’s name from the blacklist.
In a tweet, Chaudhry said the chief of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) holds the authority to add/remove any person to/from the list.
The National Assembly Opposition Leader was turned back on Saturday at the Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore and prevented from leaving the country, a PML-N spokesperson said.
During a conversation with a news channel, Chaudhry claimed Sharif had already booked his ticket even before filing the petition in the high court.
“There are different scales of justice for the rich and the poor in this country as rich get justice in a matter of hours,” he commented.
PML-N central spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb said: “Sharif was never on ECL and his name was placed on the blacklist on account of political victimisation. Name of terrorists and anti-state elements are placed on the blacklist.”
“Keeping in view his travel conduct, the court has granted a one-time travel. Placing his name on the blacklist without lawful authority was illegal and was done on the orders of Imran Khan,” she alleged.
