IHC issues notice to Defence Ministry over Zulfi Bukhari issue

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Thursday expressed displeasure that how a close friend of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, Syed Zulfikar Abbas alias Zulfi Bukhari managed to fly Saudi Arabia despite his name being on black list.

IHC bench of Justice Aamer Farooq issued notices to the joint secretary Ministry of Defence seeking reply as to how a private chartered airplane was allowed to take off from a military airbase Nur Khan.

The IHC bench simultaneously took up two petitions -- one where Zulfi Bukhari has challenged his name being put on the Exit Control List (ECL)/black list and the other petition where a petitioner has challenged removal of Zulfi’s name from ECL/black list within one hour when he went to perform Umrah accompanying Imran Khan.

A section officer of the Ministry of Interior told the IHC that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had requested to put the name of Zulfi on the ECL for investigation regarding his offshore companies revealed in Panama Papers. At the relevant time, the cabinet’s sub-committee was dysfunctional and hence his name was added to the black list. The section officer said that the black list is meant for restricting the movement of a person involved in anti-state activities.

The IHC judge inquired from the section officer how his name was removed within no time. The judge observed that in this particular case the state institution showed extra efficiency.

A NAB prosecutor Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi told the court that a request for putting Zulfi’s name on the ECL was moved after he did not cooperate for an inquiry pending against him regarding his six offshore companies.

The IHC bench advised Zulfi to join the NAB proceedings to show his bona fide. The bench also directed the NAB and Ministry of Interior to submit written replies in this matter.

Zulfi Bukhari in his petition for removal of name from ECL has contended that he has no concern with the investigation initiated against him by the NAB as he lives in Britain and all his business is also there.

In the second petition, a petitioner, Muhammad Kausar, a resident of Talagang, through his counsel Inamur Rahim, has raised questions before the IHC that whether the name of a person placed at orders of the apex court on the ECL could be removed by any subordinate officer of the FIA and whether the defence secretary is empowered to allow any civilian to use military base for landing and taking off with a private aircraft without security clearance from apparatus of state secret agencies, especially when the name of that individual is already on the ECL.