Senate body asks interior ministry to end ambiguity about procedure of adding names to ECL
Nadir GuramaniPublished December 12, 2018
Senate functional committee on human rights raises questions on the process through which names were being placed on the Exit Control List. —Dawn Archives
The chairman of Senate functional committee on human rights, Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, during a meeting on Wednesday, raised questions on the process through which names were placed on the Exit Control List (ECL) and observed that the interior ministry should make the procedure transparent.
Inquiring about the process of placing names on the ECL, Khokhar said two members of the Senate committee, MNAs Mohsin Dawar and Ali Wazir, were placed on the ECL and Hamza Shahbaz was also stopped from travelling abroad.
Additional Interior Secretary Dr Tariq Sardar briefed the committee that it was the federal government issued directives to the ministry about whose name to be placed on the ECL.
The name of Hamza Shahbaz, the leader of opposition in Punjab Assembly, had not been placed on the list, the secretary added.
Human Rights Minister Dr Shireen Mazari also informed the committee that Hamza Shahbaz's name was not on the ECL. "He was stopped on NAB's request as the bureau thought that it was very likely that he [Hamza] won't return [if allowed to travel abroad]," Mazari said.
The interior ministry official said the names of Dawar and Wazir were not on the ECL, following which Mazari added that their names must be on the provisional national identification list (PNIL).
The committee asked for a briefing on the PNIL — a list said to be maintained and administered by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). The committee observed that they only knew about the ECL and the blacklist, and asked what other lists were maintained to stop people from travelling abroad.
At this Dawar said that they were "stopped at the airport and told that their names were on the ECL".
"Three hours later, we were told that there was an FIR [registered against them] which was why our names were on the ECL," Dawar said.
"Perhaps, in the same manner, Hamza was told that his name was on the blacklist," Dawar said. "If our name is not on the ECL then why the other list being kept hidden."
The additional secretary briefed that it was the intelligence agencies and the FIA which request to put names on the PNIL.
Mazari said that she had found out from the interior ministry that the names of Dawar and Wazir were not on the ECL, but the FIA Peshawar had forwarded their name.
"[When questioned further] the ministry's officials said the FIA could give a better insight on the issue but said that names of criminals are placed on the PNIL," the minister said.
The committee then summoned the FIA director general and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police chief on December 17 to further deliberate on the matter.
Moreover, Senator Usman Khan Kakar commented Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) chief Manzoor Pashteen was not even travelling abroad, now he was being restricted from going to any other province within the country.
"The Supreme Court has made it clear that even if an FIR is registered against anyone, he cannot be stopped from going abroad," he said, adding that the name of an Article 6 suspect was not on the ECL.
Issue of missing persons
Mazari said there was no space for enforced disappearances in a democracy.
"We want to change the law and solve this problem," the human rights minister said, adding that they had asked for a list of all missing persons after which they will deliberate with all stakeholders on the issue.
The minister said Balochistan National Party (BNP) Sardar Akhtar Mengal has also been contacted in this regard.
Mazari said they wanted to resolve the issue of missing persons and bring security agencies on board for lawmaking.
"The people who are being picked up should be presented [before the court of law]," she said, adding that it was the right of people to know about the whereabouts of their relatives who had been missing for years.
'Media has been told to lie for six months'
Prior to the start of the meeting, Senator Kakar raised an objection regarding the statement issued by the military's spokesperson where he had asked the media to report about 'positive' things for the next six months.
"The [ISPR] statement regarding positive reporting by the media for six months is an important statement which should be brought on the agenda," he said.
Commenting on the ISPR statement, Kakar said that the "media has been told to lie for six months".
Hamza Shahbaz's name placed on ECL
MNA Dawar questions his arrest
CJP orders setting up of special cell on missing persons
Anti-Corruption_Pakistani
Simply, corrupt mafia and their cronies want free hand and NO interference in their black activities, so that they can make more money through their corrupt activities, transfer into their overseas accounts and nobody stop them. So poor get more more poor and rich are corrupt mafia is untouchable - this will be unimaginable and unacceptable.
Excellent measures by Interior Ministry. These corrupt elements just want to get rid of law enforcement when it comes to themselves.
Mafia is getting out of the country before the law reaches them. Great stuff. I have never supported Imran Khan but I am with him and his government. Murad Ali Shah, Faisal Vavda, Arif alvi and Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Buzdar and others, we are with you. Keep going.
Fareesa
What more can one expect from PTI in 100 days, since they don't have the ability to perform they are using NAB as a tool to harass their political opponents.
So many lists and not even ministers know what list for what and who is putting anybody's name in the list. Seems all are on the list due to politics.
I hope our senators are also vetted and added to ECL.
KhanHouston
If you are powerful You can breach the Constitution and can go away with it. PK Zindabad.
Umar Aftab
No one noticed the saddest part of this story. Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, Chairman Senate Human Rights Committee, son of Haji Nawaz Khokhar, whose house was raided only a few years ago by the military as the family is considered the biggest land mafia in the Capital.
kirran
The question is who has the final authority, who has the competency and who has the responsibility of putting people on the ECL ? Is it the Judges, is it the interior ministry, is it the FIA or investigation agencies? As of present it seems like a free for all and those targeted are not routinely cautioned or informed. Who is checking to see that placing on the ECL can only be justified if there is a clear violation of the law of the state? If it is being done at the behest of someone who is nursing a grudge and there is a suggestion that he is using it as a tool of exacting revenge then this cannot be acceptable and the list should be revised in this regard. It is not a minor issue. To detain someone there have to be very strong established grounds , to revoke an individual's right to travel as it affects his livelihood and fundamental freedoms and impacts severely on the lives of their dependants.
Lahori kid
That's funny, it worked just fine during the last two governments
The Law protects us all and must be enforced universally and transparently so. Not FIA, Interior Ministry, secret agency, nor other, not even a judge nor a uniformed officer should be allowed to subvert or to escape the written law of the land legislated by a representative Parliament. Unequal application of law, whether victimization or favouritism, is guaranteed to lead to injustice then to anarchy and to chaos. No nation can prosper where there is blatant contempt for laws.
@Ash2000, -Yes, as you say there are so many lists and the Ministers don't know about them. Ever wondered who created the system and so many lists? Do you think all this twisted system was installed in 3 months? No, these people (alleged criminals) are getting a taste of their own medicine. They are falling into the very same ditches that they had dug out for their enemies over the last 30 years. Serves them right!