The interior ministry has removed more than 100 names – including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and top leaders of PPP and PML-N – from the no-fly list, Aaj News reported while citing sources.

According to the Exit from Pakistan (Control) Rules 2010, the government can anytime prohibit any person from proceeding from the country to a destination outside Pakistan notwithstanding the fact that any person was in possession of valid travel documents if the person was involved in corruption, economic crimes, terrorism, drug trafficking, tax defaulter and many more reasons.

However, the interior ministry on April 22 notified amendments in the Exit from Pakistan (Control) Rules, 2010 after approval of the federal government.

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“In exercise of the powers conferred by section 5 of the Exit from Pakistan (Control) Ordinance, 1981(XLVI of 1981), the Federal Government is pleased to direct that the amendments shall be made in the Exit from Pakistan (Control) Rules, 2010,” said a notification issued on Friday.

Sources said former premier Nawaz Sharif, PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Khawaja Saad Rafique, Khawaja Asif, former president Asif Ali Zardari, Faryal Talpur are some of the names that have been struck off from the list.

They added that names were added on the recommendation of the National Accountability Bureau and the Federal Investigation Agency. However, sources said the names suggested by the intelligence agencies and courts would still remain on the list

According to Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, as many as 3,000 people who were included on the no-fly list would be removed the ECL.

Addressing a press conference in Islamabad on April 22, the minister said that the parliamentary committee on ECL has recommended modifying rules approved by the cabinet, adding that as per the newly approved rules the names of the people included in the ECL would be withdrawn after 120 days automatically if no evidence is provided against them.