The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday issued notices to the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) for placing the name of a local female tourist on Exit Control List (ECL) and sought comments from its director general on the issue.
Chief Justice Iqbal Hameedur Rehman held the hearing of a case filed by Zaibul Nigar, a resident of district Ghizer of Gilgit Baltistan, in whih she, through her counsel, submitted, before the court that she possessed a valid passport and used to visit different countries. She added that in 2009 she visited Nepal and in 2010 Thailand.
The counel for the petitioner, Shah Faisal Utmankhel, told the court that on January 30, 2012, Nigar along with her brother Majeedullah was due to depart from Islamabad airport to Bangkok through Thai Airlines but both of them were offloaded and the petitioner was informed that the Ministry of Interior had imposed restrictions on her movement and that she could not leave Pakistan. Moreover, the name of the petitioner has also been included in the ECL without delivering any letter or order to her, he added.
He said the petitioner was feeling extremely aggrieved. She approached the Peshawar High Court (PHC) but the Chief Justice of PHC directed her to approach the IHC as she had been offloaded at the Islamabad airport.
The counsel pointed out that the embargo on his client had been placed without any reason and justification as neither the petitioner was involved in any criminal case nor was any criminal case pending against her in any court of law for which her presence in Pakistan was required. Deputy Attorney General Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri, the federation counsel, told the court that the Ministry of Interior had placed the name of the petitioner on the ECL on the recommendation of the ISI.
After hearing the arguments, the chief justice directed the ISI director general to submit his reply until April 30 and adjourned the matter.
