JuD leader barred from leaving country

LAHORE: A senior leader of Jamat ud Daawa (JuD) Maulana Ameer Hamza was barred from travelling to Saudi Arabia Tuesday by FIA Immigration officials at Allama Iqbal Airport as his name was on the Exit Control List (ECL).
Hamza wanted to travel to the kingdom along with his wife Bushra for performing Umra. On Tuesday, when Hamza along with his spouse reached the airport at around 1:30 pm to board a flight NL-717 of Shaheen Airline scheduled for 2:45 pm, he was barred from boarding the flight. The name of Ameer Hamza was put on the ECL by the interior ministry on the request of Punjab Home Department.
Afterwards the JuD leader was brought to FIA headquarters for necessary legal actions. Although FIA officials have no clue when his name was put on the ECL and for what reasons, sources in the FIA claimed that his name was put on ECL sometime back. Sources said leaders of tier-I and tier-II of different religious parties were put on the ECL on the request of the Home Department Punjab and Ameer Hamza could be one of them. The passport of Hamza had also been confiscated, they maintained.
When contacted, FIA Director Punjab Dr Usman Anwar confirmed that JuD leader was prevented from travelling due to ECL issue. To a question, Dr Usman said he had no idea when and why the name of JuD leader was placed on the ECL.
Director FIA also said Hamza was allowed to leave FIA offices after legal procedure was completed as he was not wanted to the FIA in any case, neither any inquiry was pending against him.
Sources also claimed that Hamza and his wife had got the visa stamped by Saudi embassy for 30 days on March 26, 2015. Hussain Sarfaraz, Director Media of Federal Interior Minister, when contacted Tuesday said he had no knowledge of any such development. A leader of JuD, talking to The News, said the name of the Maulana had been added on the ECL very recently and he (Maulana) had no such intimation. To a question, he said they were inquiring from the authorities concerned about the reasons for putting Hamza’s name on the ECL.