Sharif family members under Exit Control List (ECL)???

Islamabad High Court has accepted to probe the petitions wanting to put the Sharif family member’s names on the Exit Control List (ECL)

In  the end of July some sources in the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) confided that FIA’s immigration head Wajid Zia (JIT’s head), with the approval of Interior Ministry, has enlisted the name of Sharif family members on Exit Control List (ECL)on July 28^th.

The Exit Control Lists (ECL) is a system of border control maintained by the Government of Pakistan under the Exit from Pakistan (Control) Ordinance. Those persons on the list are prohibited from leaving Pakistan.

1. Exit from Pakistan (Control) Ordinance, 1981, empowers the Federal Government to prohibit any person from proceeding abroad. Ordinarily following categories of persons are placed on ECL:-

(a) Persons involved in mass corruption and misuse of power / authority causing loss to the government funds/property.

(b) Government employees involved in economic crime where large government funds have been embezzled or institutional frauds committed.

1. c) Hardened criminals involved in acts of terrorism and conspiracy.

(d) Key directors of firms having tax default / liabilities of Rs. 10 million or more.

(e) Only 2 -3 key directors of firms having more than Rs. 100 million loan default / liabilities.

(f) Names of persons if recommended by the Registrar, High Courts / Supreme Court of Pakistan and Banking Courts only.

(g) Drug traffickers.

2. The On-Line System is operational at the Ministry linked with international airports at Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, Islamabad and Faisalabad. 3. Any person aggrieved by the order of Federal Government regarding placement of his name on ECL, can under the law, file a Review Petition giving justifications for review and also can seek a personal hearing with the competent authority. 4. ECL is reviewed periodically to assess the need for further retention of a person on ECL.

Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) was responsible for control on Exit Control List but now this responsibility has been shifted to Ministry of Interior and thus avoiding the previously experienced complications in this regard. Minister for Interior Ch. Nisar has recently announced the ECL review policy according to which no name will remain on ECL for more than a year.

Since long times Pakistan’s state machinery is continuing to misuse the ECL. Instead of employing it as a tool to prevent the flight of violent and dangerous suspects or criminals, it seems the government is using the list as a way to punish critics and opponents by restricting their freedom to travel.