Sharifs, Khaqan, Ahsan, Khawaja Asif, Saad removed from ECL

ISLAMABAD: The interior minister has removed the names of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, former PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Punjab Chief Minister-elect Hamza Shehbaz, PMLN Vice President Maryam Nawaz, federal ministers Khwaja Muhammad Asif, Ahsan Iqbal and Khwaja Saad Rafique from the Exit Control List (ECL) in the first phase of implementation of the new ECL policy, according to the interior ministry sources.

However, the ministry sources said that the names of Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari and National Democratic Movement chief Mohsin Dawar had not been removed from the ECL yet. Rana Sana's name was placed on the ECL by the anti-drug smuggling agency, while Mohsin Dawar’s name was placed on state institutions' request. Both these categories are not included in the list that could be removed from the ECL under the revised policy. However, the interior secretary could permit any person on the ECL to travel abroad for one time.

"Over 100 people included in the ECL on the recommendations of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in the previous government have been removed, subsequent to the reformed ECL policy," sources said and added that more or less 3,000 entries have been marked for their removal from the list of 4,863.

Names of Suleman Shehbaz and his family had also been struck off the ECL, added the sources. Names of co-accused with PM Shehbaz in NAB and FIA cases, Ahad Cheema and Maqsood have also been removed from the list. Maqsood is the same person about whom former premier Imran Khan claimed time and again that his account was used by Shehbaz Sharif for money laundering. He had fled the country almost three years ago, and sources claim that he had been living in London currently.

Fawad Hassan Fawad, secretary to former PM Nawaz Sharif, is also no more on the ECL. "It was found that the previous government used the ECL policy against the political opponents and put a ban on leaving their country for an infinite period to build pressure on them," the interior ministry sources said and added, it was in an attempt to end the practice of keeping people on the ECL for years and even for over a decade.

But now, according to the altered policy, the name of persons put on the ECL would automatically be removed after 120 days. However, the duration can be extended for another 90 days in an extraordinary situation. The automatic omission from the ECL would not apply to cases of terrorism, heinous crimes and threat to national security, cases forwarded by registrars of the Supreme Court, high courts and banking courts, drug trafficking and cheating public at large.

Changes have been made to Rule 2 of Exit from Pakistan (Control) Rules, which defines grounds to prohibit a person from going abroad. A new rule (4-A) has been added under which a representation seeking review will be decided within 30 days.