The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a plea filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to place the name of PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif on exit control list (ECL), reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

A two-member bench headed by Justice Mushir Alam heard the matter while Deputy Prosecutor General Jahanzeb Bharwana appeared on behalf of the NAB.

During the hearing, Justice Muneeb Akhtar remarked that the situation was different at the time of filing of the application. The person whose name NAB wanted to place on the ECL was a famous personality of the country, he observed.

In his arguments, Bharwana said several accused managed to flee the country because of not being placed on ECL, adding that six such persons had gone abroad in different cases at a time when the inquiry was being conducted.

Shehbaz was currently in court custody, the NAB representative said and maintained that he faced the charges of assets beyond means and money laundering.

However, Justice Muneeb reminded the counsel that a 10-member full court verdict had issued about money laundering four days ago. “Why you don’t come [to the court] after reading the judgment,” he remarked.

Earlier, the federal cabinet had approved the inclusion Shehbaz Sharif's name in the ECL just days after he was arrested after the Lahore High Court (LHC) dismissed a petition seeking an extension in his bail. However, the LHC had later removed his name from the list.

Later, the NAB decided to move the apex court for purpose but the two-member bench has now rejected the request.