Govt defends in Supreme Court removal of names from ECL

ISLAMABAD: The federal government, while defending the removal of names from the Exit Control List (ECL), told the Supreme Court of Pakistan on Thursday that every citizen has the constitutional right to visit foreign countries freely.

In its 54-page reply submitted to the court on Thursday in a suo motu case of government’s interference in prosecution matters, the government submitted that people’s names could not be put on the ECL because of their cases pending with the NAB. 

It was informed that names of former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Malik Riaz Hussain, Ahad Cheema, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Hamza Shehbaz, Ahsen Iqbal, Sharjeel Memon, Finance Minister Miftah Ismael as well as former president Asif Ali Zardari were removed from the ECL.

The reply said that before putting the names on the ECL, the government examined the allegations levelled against persons besides looking into their fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution. 

It was submitted that the federal government amended Rule 2 of the Exit Control List (2010) after fulfilling legal requirements, adding that the federal government had discretionary powers to amend the ECL rules.

Referring to removing names of cabinet members from the ECL, the report stated that the basic reason for removing their names was to enable them to perform their duties. It was not mandatory to consult the NAB for removing names from the ECL, adding that nothing was mentioned in any law in this regard.

The court was informed that postings and transfers were made by the previous government in the FIA, which were still intact, adding that former FIA DG Bashir Memon had disclosed that the previous government interfered in the agency working. Similarly, at present, cases of money laundering of Rs16 billion against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his son Hamza Shehbaz Sharif were under investigation.

The court was informed that according to the FIA, Salman Shehbaz, Malik Maqsood and Tahir Naqvi were absconders in the alleged money laundering case. The report also gave details of cases pending against Jehangir Tareen in a sugar scandal. A Supreme Court of Pakistan bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Umer Ata Bandial will resume hearing today (Friday) in the case.