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Tuesday March 19, 2024

Hamza moves court for removal of name from ECL

By Our Correspondent
January 16, 2019

LAHORE: The Leader of Opposition in Punjab Assembly Hamza Shahbaz has approached the Lahore High Court through a writ petition seeking removal of his name from the Exit Control List (ECL).

Hamza has filed the petition through Advocate Azam Nazir Tarar, stating that he on November 27, 2018, intended to travel abroad to see his ailing wife undergoing medical treatment in United Kingdom. However, he said, he was informed by the authorities that his name had been included in the no-fly list on the advice of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

Hamza Shahbaz pleaded that the right to travel and free movement was guaranteed under the Constitution; however, the impugned memorandum issued by the ministry of interior is in utter violation of his fundamental rights. He contended that a bare perusal of the ministry’s memorandum showed that it had been issued in an unfair exercise of executive powers and failed to disclose any valid reason.

He said the interior ministry placed his name on the ECL in an arbitrary manner as no opportunity of hearing has been afforded to him before the impugned action. The opposition leader pleaded that the act of placing his name on the ECL is in violation of Article 2-A, 4, 9, 15, and 25 of the Constitution.

The petitioner asked the court to set aside the impugned memorandum for being unlawful and order the ministry to remove his name from the ECL. As an immediate relief, he urged the court to suspend the memorandum and grant him a one-time permission to travel abroad until final decision of the petition. Justice Farrukh Irfan Khan will take up the petition on Wednesday (today).