PPP asks govt to put Imran Khan, ministers on ECL

Islamabad: The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Saturday formally named nine Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) federal and provincial Ministers and party stalwarts and demanded that they be placed on the Exit Control List (ECL) as either investigations had been initiated against them for corruption or references had been filed against them.

Besides PM Imran Khan the list contains names of Federal Ministers Pervez Khattak, Fehmida Mirza, Maqbool Siddiqui and Zubaida Jalal, Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhaw Mehmood Khan, Atif Khan Senior Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhaw, Aleem Khan Senior Minister Punjab and Mr. Jehangir Khan Tareen PTI leader. A letter sent to the Minister of State for Interior Shehryar Afridi by the PPP secretary general Farhatullah Babar further said ‘more names will follow’.

If names have to be placed on the ECL merely on the basis of JIT reports the same principle will have to be applied uniformly and without discrimination, the letter said.

The letter reads; “The Information Minister announced on Dec 27 placing the names of PPP leaders including ex-President Asif Ali Zardari, Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Member National Assembly Faryal Talpur and Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah on the Exit Control List. The cabinet had decided to place all the 172 persons named in a JIT report on the ECL, the announcement said.

“Significantly, the ECL decision by the cabinet was made within hours of the meeting of the Central Executive Committee (CEC) of the PPP in Nauderao, Sindh on the eve of 11th martyrdom anniversary of Benazir Bhutto. The CEC denounced political vendetta in the garb of accountability, demanded uniform accountability of all paid out of national exchequer and also took some important decisions to respond to current political challenges.

“Placing PPP leaders on the ECL immediately after the CEC meeting makes clear the political motivation behind the decision. The fact that many names in the list of 172 persons didn’t even contain full details also shows the hurried, knee jerk reaction to the PPP CEC meeting.

“A new element in the ECL policy also seems to have been introduced. Under it people may be placed on ECL merely on the basis of a one sided prosecution narrative without even a formal reference, court case and without taking into account defence plea.

The PPP therefore expects and demands that the names of PTI leaders forwarded are also placed in the ECL, the letter concluded..