Federal govt opposes Dr Asim’s plea to remove name from ECL

Authorities say court ordered inclusion of PPP leader’s name on list, submission of his passport

KARACHI: The federal government opposed on Monday in the Sindh High Court (SHC) a petition moved by former petroleum minister Dr Asim Hussain seeking removal of his name from the Exit Control List (ECL).

Dr Asim, a close friend of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-Chairperson Asif Ali Zardari and president of party’s Karachi chapter, had moved the SHC, contending that his name should be taken off the ECL as he wanted to travel abroad for a surgery.

Deputy Attorney General Liaquat Shaikh, representing the federal government, told a two-member SHC bench, headed by Justice Junaid Ghaffar, that the interior ministry had put Dr Asim on the ECL on the order of the court as well as on the recommendation of the National Accountability Bureau.



The PPP Karachi president faces trial in three cases, two of them regarding alleged corruption of over Rs450 billion while the other revolves around facilitating terrorism. He is on bail in all the cases.

The deputy attorney general submitted that Dr Asim could not be allowed to leave the country due to his alleged involvement in massive corruption and pleaded to the court to reject his application seeking removal of his name from the ECL.

NAB Prosecutor Muhammad Altaf also opposed Dr Asim’s plea and contended that the SHC, while granting him bail in the corruption cases on medical grounds, had directed him to deposit his passports along with the surety amount with the court. He contended that the court had also directed the interior ministry to put his name on the ECL.



The NAB prosecutor contended that the name of a person allegedly involved in causing losses to the national exchequer could be placed on the ECL under the rules and regulations.

The SHC bench adjourned the matter till May 26 after hearing the contentions of the federal government law officer and NAB prosecutor.