IHC gives go ahead to interior ministry for placing Zulfi Bukhari on ECL

ISLAMABAD: Islamabad High Court (IHC) has allowed the interior ministry to proceed with placing the name of Zulfi Bukhari on the exit control list (ECL) as per the request of National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

Zulfi Bukhari, close aide of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman, had filed a petition before IHC to remove his name from the blacklist.

Last week, IHC accepted Bukhari’s petition and directed the interior ministry to exclude his name from the blacklist.

The interior ministry informed the court that placing Mr. Bukhari on the blacklist was a precautionary move in response to NAB’s request, because the subcommittee responsible for approving the inclusion of names on the ECL was dysfunctional at the time the request was forwarded.

The IHC, in its order, discussed the concept of placing a citizen on the blacklist in detail and observed that since NAB is investigation Mr. Bukhari on the allegations of owning offshore companies in the British Virgin Islands, therefore his name is to be placed on the ECL.

Then on the basis of NAB’s request, the high court allowed the ministry to take essential measures to put a travel ban on Mr. Bukhari, stating: “It is needless to observe that [the interior ministry] shall be at liberty to take appropriate action in accordance with law on the application of [NAB] for placing the name of petitioner on Exit Control List.”

Bukhari, a British national, was briefly barred from boarding a special flight for Saudi Arabia from Noor Khan Airbase to perform Umrah along with PTI chief Imran Khan on June 11.

He, however, was later allowed to travel when he submitted an affidavit to the effect that he would return to the country after spending six days in the kingdom.

He is facing a National Accountability Bureau (NAB) inquiry and had skipped its multiple summons.

After his return from Saudi Arabia, he filed the petition in the high court, requesting it to remove his name from the blacklist.