ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed Tuesday urged the PDM leadership to delay the long march on Islamabad due to holy month of Ramazan, saying that where they have made so many amendments in their plan, they should also change the date.
Adressing a press conference, he said, the government would welcome the PDM rally in federal capital, but no one would be allowed to violate the law and create law order situation. The interior minister said the government had recently granted permission to the PDM to stage rally in front of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) offices. Sh Rashid announced that passport of Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) leader Nawaz Sharif would expire at 12pm on Feb 16, which would not be renewed.
However, he added, the government could issue an emergency travel document (ETD) on his request for travel to the country. He said as per the legal obligations, the passport of those who were on the Exit Control List (ECL) could not be renewed. “Today the passport of Nawaz Sharif will expire. From August 20, 2018, names of Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz are on the ECL on the request of NAB.
“The cabinet had also put the name of Maryam on the ECL, the passport of a person whose names are in the ECL cannot be renewed,” he added. However, the minister said if Nawaz wanted to travel to Pakistan, he could be issued an emergency travel document within 72 hours, but Nawaz Sharif had not made any such request so far. Nawaz Sharif had flown to London on Nov 19, 2019 on medical grounds. The government had allowed Nawaz Sharif to travel abroad for medical treatment “in the light of the LHC order”.
Sheikh Rashid said one-time permission granted by the LHC had been misused by the PML-N leader. He said the LHC had also issued a verdict asking Nawaz Sharif to return to Pakistan but neither he neither complied with it nor submitted any reply so far. The minister said Nawaz Sharif had not been barred from returning to Pakistan. Maryam Nawaz had said that she would not give any application for removal of her name from the ECL, Sh Rashid said, adding “We have not asked for any application; it is up to an applicant to apply or not.”
About upcoming Senate elections, he said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) would win the Senate elections, scheduled to be held on March 3, with majority. “There will be no surprise, the political and constitutional issues will be solved after Senate elections,” he hoped.
He said that very important decision of the Supreme Court regarding open or secret ballot in Senate elections was expected before March 3. The minister said about 150 employees working in various visa sections for the last 10 years had been transferred. He said the officers who failed to hand over charge to newly deputed officials within 14 days of the orders issuance, his/her services would be terminated. Sh Rashid said fee for a ten-year validity passport had been reduced by 50 per cent. The minister asked the applicants to apply for a 10-year validity passport. The minister said that National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) was issuing 100,000 computerised national identity cards (CNICs) daily, and added that the authority offices would be opened at tehsil level.
