The new government of Pakistan removed names of several high-profile personalities, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, from the no-fly list, it emerged on Sunday.
The Cabinet in its maiden meeting last week had asked the Ministry of Interior to review the Exit Control List ECL, headed by Rana Sanaullah, to look at the people not allowed to leave the country.
The prime minister Shehbaz Sharif, his wife Nusrat Shehbaz, his niece Maryam Nawaz, former Premier Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, his son Abdullah Khaqan and Finance Minister Miftah Ismail are allowed to move out of the country without any restrictions.
Sanaullah said names were put on the ECL for political revenge. The Minister said there were 4,863 people on the ECL blacklist and 30,000 people on the Provisional National Identification List PNIL. The ECL rules have been amended which will directly benefit 3,500 people.
The people who are banned from leaving the country for various reasons, including those who are afflicted with corruption cases, are some of the people that are banned from leaving the country.
These lists had been used by governments to muzzle opposition in the past.