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Accused flee from country if not placed on ECL: Fawad

Accused flee from country if not placed on ECL: Fawad
January 2, 2019
ISLAMABAD (92 News) – Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry said on Wednesday that if any accused is not placed on the exit control list (ECL) then he flees from the country. Addressing a press conference following a meeting of the federal cabinet, the information minister said that in Pakistan, whoever could prove to be helpful in investigations was made to flee the country. He cited the most glaring example of former finance minister Ishaq Dar, who he alleged had fled the country on then prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi’s airplane and has since not returned. – Govt will not strike NRO with opposition – Fawad reiterated that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government would not agree upon an NRO with the opposition. When asked a question about the names of Pakistan Peoples’ Party and Pakistan Muslim League-N leaders added to the ECL, the minister said the cabinet took the decision on the joint request of FIA, NAB, and the JIT. – Govt nothing to do with accountability process – He said that the incumbent government had nothing to do with the accountability process, he said that neither Chairman NAB Justice (r) Javed Iqbal was appointed by PTI, nor were the corruption cases registered during PTI’s leadership. – Shehbaz appointed as PAC chairman being accused of corruption – Fawad Chaudhry also expressed his dissension with the Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif being appointed as the chairman of the Public Accounts Committee despite being accused in corruption cases. He claimed that the opposition was trying to hamper the National Assembly from doing its business since day one. – Names of 172 placed on ECL to be sent to review committee – The minister announced that a list of 172 individuals placed on the ECL on the recommendation of JIT probing the fake accounts case will be sent to a review committee functioning under the interior ministry. Fawad said the move was in accordance with orders of the SC, which had directed the cabinet on Monday to reconsider its hasty decision of placing the names of 172 people, including Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and other PPP stalwarts, on the no-fly list. The minister revealed that the cabinet will decide the fate of the 172 individuals' names keeping in view these "bitter examples" following the review committee's recommendations. – Cabinet decides to place 5 projects, units on list for privatization – Fawad Chaudhry announced that the cabinet has decided to place five projects and units on the government's priority list for privatisation. These include the 1,230 MW Haveli Bahadur Shah power project, government shares in Mari Petroleum Company, Lakhra coalmines, Services International Hotel in Lahore. In addition, a cabinet committee will finalise matters regarding the sale of K-Electric. He said that a committee led by Defence Minister Pervez Khattak has been tasked with identifying nearly 150 properties on prime state land. “The list of such properties will be presented in the next cabinet meeting and a decision will be made regarding their disposal.” The minister separately announced that the government has decided to add three vacancies of judges in the Islamabad High Court. The court will now have nine judges in addition to its chief justice. The cabinet also approved a loan of 130 million euros for the next phase of the Peshawar Bus Rapid Transit project.