The federal cabinet has outrightly rejected a request by Maryam Nawaz to remove her name from the Exit Control List and thus enable her to travel abroad. The fiasco that occurred when her father and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif wanted to go abroad for medical treatment is unlikely to be repeated again.
Maryam’s case is different than Nawaz’s, as she is not precariously ill. She wants to fly to Britain to be with the rest of the family. The petition filed in the Lahore High Court states that she is her father’s caregiver after her mother passed away and needs to be with him. The government states these are insufficient grounds to allow her to travel abroad.
Nawaz Sharif is currently undergoing treatment in London but his personal physician has not provided details over his condition. He is expected to undergo a heart operation next week. The question arises whether he requires Maryam by his bedside during his treatment. His sons and other family members are present alongside and are providing him the required personal care.
The PML-N has decried that Maryam is being treated unfairly by being placed on the no-fly list. The party spokesperson claims that Maryam’s sentence has been suspended, and there are no grounds for the government to stop her. PML-N leader Khawaja Asif has stated that stopping Maryam from going abroad is part of the ongoing political victimization against the party.
The PTI government has stated that Maryam’s release and suspension were conditional. However, the federal cabinet has added that Maryam can approach another forum. Once again the government wants to throw the ball in the judiciary’s court. Maryam has submitted two petitions in the court to allow her to travel abroad.
The onus now lies with the judiciary to remove Maryam’s name from the no-fly list. If the court allows her then the government would once blame the judiciary similar to the case with Nawaz. If Maryam is prevented, then the government would claim that the court’s decision should be respected. The government seems to be in a win-win position by rejecting the request.
Maryam Nawaz was seen as the heir apparent to her father but had a fallout and was disqualified even before she was elected to office. It seems that Maryam would probably seek political exile in Britain rather than returning to the complex and unstable world of Pakistan’s politics.
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