Responding to Nisar, Iqbal says 600 ECL cases sent to cabinet

Says Musharraf coming back to get dry-cleaned through judiciary

LAHORE: Responding to the former interior minister’s concern over non-compliance of a request by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for putting ‘certain names’ on the Exit Control List (ECL), the incumbent security czar has said his ministry has sent 600 such cases for cabinet’s approval.

“The interior ministry has sent 600 cases regarding the ECL to the federal cabinet,” Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal said on Saturday while addressing a ceremony in Lahore.

Speaking on the floor of the house on Friday, Iqbal’s predecessor Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan sought public explanation from the government over its decision to ignore NAB’s recommendations to place the name of former premier Nawaz Sharif on the ECL.

“NAB’s decisions used to be taken seriously during my tenure. The house should be informed if someone’s name is placed on the ECL and other’s not,” said Nisar, an old confidant of deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif who has reportedly fallen from his favour due to his vocal opposition of various party policies.

Talking with reference to Nisar’s speech and the corruption cases filed against the deposed PM and his family members in line with the Supreme Court’s July 28, 2017 verdict, Iqbal said the ruling party was not against the accountability process, but the selective accountability.

“The accountability process initiated this close to election is clearly politically motived and is seen by people as pre-poll rigging,” he added.

The minister also expressed reservations over a recent statement by former president Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf. The former military ruler reportedly said he did not expect fair trial from the old judiciary, but expected justice from the new judiciary.



“Now Musharraf is coming back to dry-clean himself from this judiciary,” he remarked.

There are reports that Musharraf is likely to return early next month in the wake of an order from a special court – hearing a high-treason case against him – to suspend his passport and computerised national Identity card (CNIC).

In March 2016, the court had also directed the interior ministry to approach Interpol for the arrest of the former president who has been living in Dubai for two years.

Iqbal said after the court’s recent order, Musharraf’s lawyer had assured the interior ministry of his return and demanded a high-level security for him.

“Musharraf should come back to Pakistan to face courts if he genuinely believes in a democratic system. He is now a leader of a political party and should not act like army general,” he said.

The minister called it ‘the job of interior ministry’ to provide security to every person in the country. “Musharraf should not worry about his security… he was also given a foolproof security earlier,” he added.

Iqbal said opposition parties should sit with the government for finalising interim setups for federal and provincial governments. “This will ensure a smooth transition of power and holding of next elections on time,” he said.

PML-N skeptical about Musharraf’s trial

“We will reserve our views regarding the special court’s instruction to the interior ministry to bring back Musharraf until he is actually punished for abrogating the Constitution of Pakistan,” said Pervaiz Rashid, a close aide of Sharif, the deposed PM.

Rashid asked if Musharraf would actually be held accountable and if his case would be heard with the same urgency as the cases against Sharif. “Our party will only be happy when he is put behind bars,” he added.



Senator Mushahidullah Khan said Musharraf had confessed during an interview that he pressurised the court through former army chief Raheel Sharif.

“When no action was taken then, what action should we expect of the courts now!”

He said, “Of the 207 million people of the country, Nawaz Sharif’s family has been singled out. Such selective accountability reeks of a partiality in the system.”