ISLAMABAD (92 News) – The Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday issued detailed judgment, in which, ordered the federal government to remove Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah’s names from exit control list (ECL).
Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP)
Mian Saqib Nisar on January, 7 directed government to remove Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s name from Exit Control List (ECL).
In the
SC detailed verdict, “As far as the recommendations relating to Mr
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Mr
Murad Ali Shah, Chief Minister, Sindh are concerned, the learned counsel for the JIT has frankly conceded that the material against the said persons may need re-examination to arrive at the correct conclusions.”
“Further, their names may have been included in the list of persons who have been recommended to be placed on
ECL, without careful examination of the material available on record and the ramifications and consequences of such orders for the said persons.”
“In this regard, it has been pointed out that Mr
Murad Ali Shah is the Chief Minister, Sindh. It would cause serious problems in performance of his official functions in case his name is placed on the
ECL and his movements are restricted. We accordingly direct that the names of the said persons for the time being be removed from the ECL,” the verdict reads.
NA debated SC verdict to remove Bilawal's name from ECL
Earlier today in National Assembly, Minister for Foreign Affairs
Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that the government put the names of 172 people on exit control list () in haste.
The foreign minister remarked that the NA that the decision on removing the names of Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah from the ECL will be made after receiving detailed written judgment of the Supreme Court.
Former PM
Shahid Khaqan Abbasi remarked that the least the government could do was remove Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s name from the no-fly list.
PPP leader
Raja Pervaiz Ashraf commented that if the government felt happy to place name of the PPP’s leader on the ECL, they should have to do so.
Minister for Human Rights
Shireen Mazari said that the chief justice never said that the names should be removed from the ECL, rather he asked for the names to be reviewed.
On December 27, in view of the joint investigation team (
JIT) report on the fake bank accounts case, the federal government decided to place the names of 172 people, including PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on the no-flyer list.
On December 31, the
SC had questioned how the government had placed the names of these people on the no-fly list without its approval. Among many other senior politicians in Sindh, Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah’s name was also on the list and was of particular concern to the court.
Federal minister for Information
Fawad Chaudhry adopted a stance that the government will remove 20 names, proposed by the
SC, from the Exit Control List (ECL) after receiving a detailed verdict from the apex court.
