Cabinet against removing Maryam's name from ECL: Vawda

ISLAMABAD: The entire cabinet is opposed to allowing Maryam Nawaz to go abroad, says Federal Minister for Water Resources Faisal Vawda on Sunday. 

Speaking to Shahzad Iqbal on Geo News' programme 'Naya Pakistan', Vawda said that the entire cabinet was against removing Maryam's name from the no-fly list. 

"The last time I briefed the cabinet on the issue of removing Maryam's name from the ECL, everyone was opposed to it," he said. 

Vawda said that the entire cabinet was on the same page and did not want former prime minister Nawaz Sharif's daughter's name removed from the ECL. 

"The prime minister endorsed our opinion as well," he said. "Even if the court supposedly allows Maryam to go abroad, we [government] will challenge that decision."

The federal minister said that granting an NRO meant all cases were dismissed against a culprit and he was allowed to take part in politics. 

"No one has been acquitted yet," he said. "Everyone is facing their cases. This government's policy is not to give political opponents NRO."

Maryam had filed a petition at the Lahore High Court (LHC) for the removal of her name from the ECL. Her name was added to the no-fly list after she was convicted with her father in the Avenfield reference. 

Maryam stated in the petition that she wants to go abroad for six weeks. The federal government, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and the Immigration and Passport authority have been named parties in the petition.

The PML-N leader has expressed concern for her father's health and has asked the court to allow her to travel abroad so she can take care of him.