- Nisar announces removal of 5,000 names from ECL in ‘major overhaul’, abolishes Black List, introduces passport list for those using two passports
- Says no department but Interior Ministry will add names to ECL on the recommendations of the Supreme Court, high courts and defence forces
- Claims govt has fair idea of people behind Shuja Khanzada’s assassination, but breakthrough not made yet
Paving way for a “major overhaul” of the Exit Control List (ECL) – wherein the Interior Ministry will have “sole control” over the list – Federal Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan Sunday announced the removal of some 5,000 names from the list.
The minister told the journalists that no other department except his ministry will have authority to add individuals on the list.
“Some 8,000 names are on the list [ECL] which was being blatantly used to malign people. I hereby announce to remove some 5,000 names from the ECL except those belonging to proscribed organisations, while the Black List, which was being run under the Passports Directorate and contained 52,000 names, will seize to exist from this point onward.”
As an alternative to the Black List, the interior minister said, a passport list is being generated to target those individuals using two passports and resorting to illegal use with the help of these.
“We will have the assistance of the NAB and FIA and their recommendations will also be closely monitored by the interior ministry. The decision of including a name into the ECL will also depend on the recommendations of the Supreme Court, high courts and defence forces, while a permanent review committee of the interior will also work to this end. This way we have institutionalised the entire process,” he explained the overhaul.
The minister also said that a time span of three years will be allowed to justify the presence of anyone’s name on the list. Upon failure to do so, the name in question will be removed.
“Whosoever gets their name on the list will be notified and will be given a month’s time to prove the inclusion wrong.”
Nisar said that the policy has been adopted after the government had discovered that the some names were put on the list as early as year 1985.
KHANZADA ATTACK:
Moreover, the interior minister said that there has been significant progress in the investigation of the assassination of Punjab Home Minister Shuja Khanzada but major breakthrough has not been made yet.
Nisar said that Khanzada was informed of the danger and was asked not to visit his home in Attock. He said the federal and provincial governments are actively pursuing the case and assured that nation would be informed when a breakthrough is made. However he said they have a fair idea about people behind the incident.
He asked the media not to speculate about arrest of people who are taken into custody for other reasons. He said linking those arrests with Khanzada murder would damage the investigation process.
MEETING SEMINARIES:
Furthermore, Nisar said a meeting of officials of madrassas will be convened in the first week of September by him and the prime minister will also attend the concluding session. He said after that, a meeting of the chief ministers will be convened to discuss ways and means to improve the law and order situation and prime minister and COAS will also be invited.
NO IB RECORDED CALL:
In reply to a question, the minister said there is no truth in the report that IB recorded telephone of former ISI Chief and emphatically stated that it is “baseless”. He said it is responsibility of the government to defend the security institutions.
The interior minister made it emphatically clear that there had been no misunderstanding between the government and the military during the last two years.