LHC asks govt to explain its failure to decide on Maryam's ECL within seven-day deadline.

LAHORE -- The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday asked the federal government to explain in writing why it took more than seven days to take a final decision on the removal of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz Sharif's name from the Exit Control List (ECL).

On December 9, the high court, while hearing Maryam's petition, had set a seven-day deadline for the government to decide on the matter.

However, the federal cabinet did not take a decision within the deadline, leading to Maryam filing a second petition in the court on December 21.

The Lahore High Court (LHC) directed the federal government on Wednesday to submit a written response to PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz's request for the removal of her name from the no-fly list.

A divisional bench of the LHC headed by Judge Muhammad Tariq Abbassi and comprising Justice Chaudhry Mushtaq Ahmed heard a petition filed by Maryam Nawaz in which she has asked the LHC to return her passport and to order the government to take her name off the Exit Control List (ECL).

During the hearing, the court was told by Maryam's lawyer Khawaja Amjad Parvez that...