Senate panel approves ECL Amendment Bill

ISLAMABAD: Senate’s Committee on Interior Monday approved amendment to the Exit Control List Ordinance approving ‘The Exit from Pakistan (Control) Amendment Bill, 2018’. The Bill in the Senate was moved by Senator Mian Raza Rabbani in November and the Bill provides in sub-section 2 of section 2 that before making an order of placing a person on the control list, the federal government shall specify the grounds on which the order is proposed to be made and shall communicate such grounds within twenty-four hours of the order to the person or class of person prohibited while sub-section 3 of section 3 in the Bill states that the federal government shall decide the representation within fifteen days, failing which the order made shall lapse.

The meeting of Senate Standing Committee on Interior was held under the chairmanship of Senator A Rehman Malik here at the Parliament House and was attended by Senators Kalsoom Parveen, Mian Muhammad Ateeq Shaikh, Sardar Muhammad Shafiq Tareen and Haji Momin Khan Afridi.

Mian Raza Rabbani was warmly welcomed in the committee and his services as Senate chairman were highly applauded.

Raza Rabbani proposed that in the ECL Act the words “Competent Authority” should be substituted with words “Federal Secretary, Ministry of Interior” for all purposes including placing or deleting the person from the ECL.

Senator A Rehman Malik said that the committee had already proposed necessary amendments to the ECL Act in its meeting on October 22, 2018. He said that this is a fundamental right of the accused to be informed in advance at least 24 hours before including in ECL. The Bill was unanimously passed by the committee.

Chairman Committee Senator A. Rehman Malik informed the Committee that he had taken suo moto notice and has sought Progress report on sudden devaluation of Pakistani rupees twice i.e. on 09th October, 2018 and on 30th November, 2018 as it has adversely affected the economy of the country. He said that in this regards, FIA was directed to investigate on the guidelines provided in its detailed letter December 26th, 2018 to identify that there is cartel operating in the country against the economy and business interest of Pakistan. He also dismissed the impressions that taking notice of the devaluation of Pakistani Rupee is the subject of Senate Standing Committee on Finance alone added that FIA has the responsibility to regulate and implement Foreign Exchange Act so it falls under Senate Standing Committee on Interior also.

The provisions of the Exit from Pakistan (Control) Ordinance, 1981 are in conflict with the fundamental rights conferred by the Constitution.

Taking the notice of discrimination on placing the names on the ECL, Rehman Malik said that he has taken serious notice of the discrimination being done in placement of persons including country’s political leadership on the ECL.

He said that government has placed the names of some under inquiry/investigation on ECL while some with cases and under investigation in NAB and FIA have not been placed on the ECL.

He asked the Ministry of Interior as to why it is so and what the criteria is in this regard.

Chairman Committee Senator A Rehman Malik informed the committee that he had taken suo motu notice and sought progress report on sudden devaluation of Pakistani rupees twice i.e. on October 9, 2018 and on November 30, 2018 as it had adversely affected the economy of the country. He said that in this regards, FIA was directed to investigate on the guidelines provided in its detailed letter of December 26, 2018 to identify that there was a cartel operating in the country against the economy and business interest of Pakistan. He also dismissed the impressions that taking notice of the devaluation of Pakistani rupee is the subject of Senate Standing Committee on Finance alone. He said that FIA had the responsibility to regulate and implement Foreign Exchange Act so it falls under Senate Standing Committee on Interior also.