IHC orders Asad Durrani’s removal from no-fly list

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday directed the Ministry of Interior to remove the name of former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Lt-Gen (retd) Asad Durrani from the Exit Control List (ECL) and allowed him to travel abroad.

IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah, hearing the case, said Durrani’s name was placed on the ECL due to an inquiry against him for writing a controversial book. The court noted that currently there is neither any inquiry pending against Durrani, nor any other grounds exist to keep him in the ECL. The court said like every common citizen, the petitioner had also basic rights under the Constitution.

Additional Attorney General Tariq Khokhar requested the court to serve a notice to the Ministry of Defence and seek its reply in that regard. To this, the Chief Justice said there was no need for it, adding that according to the records there was no inquiry pending against Durrani.

After conclusion of the arguments from both sides, the court ordered the federal government to delete the name of Asad Durrani from the ECL.