Hundreds banned from leaving Pakistan

KARACHI: The federal government has banned the exit of many ministers, ex-ministers, MPs and scores of bureaucrats from the country, placing them on a watch list at all exit points of the country.
Sources told The News that the federal government had directed the FIA Immigration Wing not to allow seven provincial ministers, four former ministers, 20 MPAs and 8 MNAs of the PPP and over 100 officers of the Sindh government to leave the country and seek clearance from the law enforcement agencies in this regard.
These persons have been placed on the ‘Stop Person Watch List’ for their alleged involvement in corruption, land grabbing, patronage of criminals and other charges.Sources said all those on the watch list were yet to be placed on the Exit Control List (ECL); however, if any of them tried to escape, he would be arrested and charged as enough incriminating evidence had been collected against them.
The Sindh government spokesman and Information Minister Sharjeel Memon is staying away from the media despite many attempts to contact them.The phone numbers of provincial minister Manzoor Wassan, Gian Chand, Jam Shoro and Mumtaz Jakhrani were also not responding.
Sources said DG Rangers had sought the federal government’s permission to arrest 26 top corrupt persons including ministers, MPAs, MNAs and officers.However, by Saturday evening over 107 persons had filed applications with various courts for protective and pre-arrest bail.
They included several politicians, ministers, senior bureaucrats of Revenue Department and commissioner Benazirabad.The sources said investigators had got conclusive evidences of corruption in the Sindh Local Government Department and its subordinate departments including KMC, Water and Sewerage Board, Sindh Building Control Authority and Sindh Irrigation Department.
These departments were under the control of an unauthorized person who is a close relative of the leader of the main ruling party in Sindh.The Sindh Information Department, Finance Department, Coal and Energy, Works and Services, Education, Excise and Health department are also under investigation.
On the other hand, sources confirmed that the arrested Fishermen’s Cooperative Society (FCS) Vice Chairman Sultan Qamar Siddiqi and two directors Muhammad Khan Chachar and Rana Shahid had confessed to their involvement in embezzlement of funds of the Society, land grabbing, patronizing of criminal gangs and murders.
Siddiqi was arrested on June 17, while Muhammad Khan Chachar, Rana Shahid and Coordinator Kamran Abbasi were arrested on June 19 (Friday). The Anti-Terrorism Court had granted their 90 days remand on the Rangers request.
The Rangers law officer informed the court that Muhammad Khan Chachar was the front man of a woman leader and he had to be investigated in several cases including the killing of chairman Pakistan Steel Mills Sajjad Hussain.
He also said Chachar used to sell government vacancies to different people, while Rana Shahid and Abbasi were required for investigation into criminal cases including extortion and target killings.
Well-placed sources in the law enforcement agencies told The News that Muhammad Khan Chachar was a hardened criminal and remained co-accused with the PPP top leadership in many criminal cases including the murder case of former Steal Mills Chairman Sajjad Hussain.
Muhammad Khan Chachar was convicted in the case by a trial court and was later released by the Sindh High Court.
Chachar was also convicted in a murder attempt case of Imran Aziz Khan, son of former Lahore High Court Chief Justice Rashid Aziz Khan, and in murder case of his friend Ghulam Mustafa.
In the said case, Chachar was also convicted but released after his compromise with the heirs of the murdered Ghulam Mustafa.The sources said Rana Shahid was also involved in many criminal activities. He was the gang leader of Punjabi Students Associations (PSA) and joined the gang of Dr. Nisar Morai some two years back.