Cabinet will wait for SC's written verdict for removal of names from ECL: Chaudhry

ISLAMABAD: Federal minister for Information Fawad Chaudhry declared that the government will remove 20 names, proposed by the Supreme Court (SC), from the Exit Control List (ECL) after receiving a detailed verdict from the apex court.

Addressing a press conference on Thursday, the minister assured that the travel ban will be lifted from 20 specified suspects, once the top court gives a detailed verdict on its Jan 7 ruling  to strike off the names of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, former president Asif Ali Zardari’s counsel Farooq Naek and 17 others from the ECL pertaining to the fake bank accounts case.

The federal cabinet has refused to grant the request of the Interior Minister to immediately execute the SC’s order to exclude 20 suspects out of 172 from the ECL, the minister continued.

Chaudhry informed media that a cabinet committee has also been formed to review the issues pertaining to the 172 names following which it will present its recommendations to the cabinet.

He said that the committtee includes Minister for Law and Justice Barrister Dr Farogh Naseem, Minister of State for Interior Shahryar Afridi, Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on Accountability Shahzad Akbar and the Interior Secretary Azam Suleman Khan.

The minister, however, added that after the apex court issues a written order, the cabinet will also seek the committee’s guidance to decide whether a review appeal of the court order should be submitted.