Lawyer approaches SC to put Pasha on ECL

Accusing outgoing ISI chief of being responsible for thousands of people going “missing”, a lawyer Tuesday approached the Supreme Court of Pakistan to put Lt Gen Ahmed Shuja Pasha’s name on the list of people barred from travelling abroad (Exit Control List).
Tariq Asad, a lawyer who represents the relatives of several “missing persons” or people detained without charge by intelligence and security agencies, filed the petition asking the court to include Pasha in the Exit Control List (ECL) maintained by the Interior Ministry.
Asad contends in his petition that Pasha, who is due to retire on March 18, was responsible for thousands of people going “missing” as they had been allegedly detained at his behest.
The petition further stated that Pasha was responsible for some people going “missing” from Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi. Asad contended that the spy agency chief might go abroad after his retirement. If this happened, it would be difficult to ascertain the facts about the “missing persons” and therefore, Pasha’s name should be put on the ECL, the petition stated.
The Supreme Court recently criticised the ISI and Military Intelligence after taking up the case of 11 men who were detained by the intelligence agencies for alleged involvement in terrorist attacks on military facilities. Four of the detainees have died under mysterious circumstances.
The other seven detainees were in poor health when they had recently appeared before the Supreme Court. Rights groups have alleged that hundreds of people have been detained without charge by security and intelligence agencies since Pakistan joined the US-led war against terror. The government has denied these charges and has said that only a few dozen people were being held by the security establishment. The petition states that Pasha was responsible for the other people going missing as well.