For religious duty: Removal of name from ECL ordered

HYDERABAD: The Sindh High Court (SHC) ordered on Tuesday the interior ministry to remove the name of a former Sindh government official, facing an inquiry by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), from the Exit Control List (ECL) for three weeks.

The SHC allowed Dr Abdul Majeed Chutto, former incharge of Sindh Hepatitis Prevention and Control Programme, to perform Umrah. The leniency was given against a surety of Rs300,000, despite objections raised by the NAB prosecutor who feared the petitioner might not return.

The NAB issued call-up notice to Dr Chutto on March 10 in a case pertaining to alleged corruption in the programme. However, Chutto obtained pre-arrest bail against a surety of Rs500,000 from the SHC, Hyderabad, before appearing in front of the NAB. He informed the court that he will perform Umrah from May 15 to June 5.

The court asked the SHC’s deputy registrar to return his passport but directed him to submit his passport in the SHC after returning and also inform the home ministry.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 11^th, 2016.