Placing Tahirul Qadri's name on ECL being mulled

PAT chief has yet to obtain bail in the cases registered against him for violence during the 2014 sit-in

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad's district administration is considering requesting the interior ministry to place Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Dr Tahirul Qadri's name on the exit control list over the criminal cases registered against him during his party's 2014 sit-in.

Both Qadri and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan were booked for the violence that broke out during the months-long sit-in in the federal capital in 2014.

The PTI chairman recently appeared before police and obtained bail from an anti-terrorism court, however, Qadri is yet to do so.

They were booked by police after their activists breached the Parliament House premises, ransacked the Pakistan Television Corporation headquarters and engaged in violent clashes with the law enforcement agencies.

At least nine criminal cases were registered against PTI and PAT protesters and leaders.

Of them, Qadri and Khan were nominated in at least three cases registered under anti-terrorism clauses.



Since Qadri has so far defied the court orders to appear before it, the authorities are considering forwarding a request to the government to place his name on the ECL.

Sources in the Islamabad Capital Territory Administration  told The Express Tribune on Sunday that they had prepared a report on the criminal cases against Qadri and the judicial proceedings so far.

They said they were considering forwarding the report to the ministry with a request to prevent Qadri from leaving the country.

The sources said a special anti-terror court had issued permanent arrest warrants for Qadri.

The step is being seen by political analysts as a tactic by the government to mount pressure on Qadri, who is flexing his muscle to launch a fresh agitation drive against the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government.