PHC orders removal of PTM activist name from ECL

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Thursday directed the Ministry of Interior to remove the name of Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) woman activist from the Exit Control List (ECL).

A division bench comprising Justice Chief Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth and Justice Ijaz Anwar allowed the writ petition. It directed the Ministry of Interior to remove the name of Sana Ijaz from the ECL.

During the hearing, counsel for the petitioner submitted before the bench that the district administration had registered FIR against the PTM activists on charges of anti-state speeches at their public meeting in Swabi district.

He said that on the basis of the FIR, the Ministry of Interior, on the request of the provincial government had put the names of the activists of the PTM, including Sana Ijaz on ECL.The lawyer said another bench of the high court several days ago in the case of PTM leader Dr Said Alam Mahsud, in the same case had issued orders to the Ministry of Interior to remove his name from the ECL.

He said that the petitioner had a foreign country visa and wanted to go abroad for participation in the family program. However, he said, the officials had told her that she cannot go abroad as the ministry had put her name on ECL on the request of the provincial government.

The petitioner’s lawyer submitted before the bench that the act to place the name of the petitioner was illegal and requested to order for removal of petitioner name from the ECL. On the other hand, the additional advocate general produced a copy of the FIR in the court and submitted that she had been charged for anti-state speech. He opposed the removal of her name from the FIR.