The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Friday directed the Federal Government to submit written reply on a petition filed by former Sindh Information minister Sharjeel Inam Memon against placing his name on Exit Control List (ECL).
A SHC bench heard the petition filed by Sharjeel Memon against the Interior Ministry’s decision to put his name on ECL. Memon, a Pakistan People’s Party leader who has been living in London after law-enforcement agencies kicked off a crackdown against politicians and bureaucrats over corruption charges, had submitted that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had initiated an inquiry against him with regard to allegations of corruption and misuse of power in excessive advertisement payments to different advertisement firms. He said he wanted to return home without any travel restrictions.
The NAB had earlier informed the court that Sindh’s former information minister was required in corruption inquiries, including the embezzlement of over Rs 5 billion in the Information Department.
During the hearing, the counsel of the federation said that they had already stated that if Sharjeel wanted to come back they had no objection. The counsel said that name was placed on ECL to restrain any person from going out of the country, adding that it was not placed to stop someone from coming into the country.
He argued that returning to the country had nothing to do with ECL restrictions. The court while directing the federation to submit written reply adjourned further hearing till December 9, 2016.
