Development fund Opp uproar in NA

Ag Agencies

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly (NA) session Friday witnessed uproar on the issue of funds distribution. The opposition recorded its protest on “being ignored” by the government.

Another thorny issue came up when Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) MNA Naveed Qamar questioned why the name of former premier Nawaz Sharif had not been put on the Exit Control List (ECL) as yet.

Qamar questioned the procedure for putting someone’s name on the ECL. “What is the procedure for putting someone’s name on Exit Control List,” he questioned.

“You put someone’s name on ECL before [court proceedings] start against them. Even when the Panama case was ongoing, and even now with accountability court hearing cases against the Sharif family [Nawaz's name is not on ECL]. Why is this policy not being followed in this case?”

He further remarked that so many times they have to think what cases can be lodged against this person. “Even before that the person’s name is put on ECL.”

Calling attention towards this "prejudice behaviour", he stated: “These double standards cannot be followed.”

Responding to this, former interior minister and disgruntled PML-N leader Chaudhry Nisar said that the policy regarding putting someone’s name on the ECL has changed.

“During my tenure, people’s names were put on ECL even after a domestic dispute.”

A committee of the interior ministry makes the decision on whose names should be put on ECL now. The roles of interior secretary and other ministers have been finished in this regard, said Nisar.

He remarked that the ECL committee should make its decision on merit, adding that the recommendations made by National Accountability Bureau should be reviewed and then implemented.

Nisar, pointing towards Qamar’s remarks, said that the reasons behind this contradiction should be disclosed. “Why is one person’s name put on ECL, but not the other person’s?”