Cabinet forms panel to review ECL cases

Review every name on a case-by-case basis and remove those no longer need to be on it

ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet has formed a subcommittee to examine the cases of individuals that are presently on the Exit Control List (ECL) and to take steps for the addition and deletion of related names depending on the nature of the respective cases.

The decision was taken on Wednesday during a weekly cabinet huddle under the chair of Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.

Sources said the subcommittee would review every name placed on the ECL on a case-by-case basis and remove names which no longer need to be on it.

The development comes at a time when the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has asked for the names of various Sharif family members to be put on the list due to corruption references pending against them.

However, reports suggest that Interior Ministry is in no mood to comply with the court's directives.

The federal government has discretionary powers to give relaxation to persons whose names are placed on the ECL.  Last year, a top Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) official, Bernd Hildenbrand, was allowed to leave the country by the Interior Ministry despite having his name on the ECL.



A source told The Express Tribune that the new sub-committee would recommend including the names of mainly those individuals who have been ordered by superior courts-- in an indication that the government may not place the names of individuals on the ECL when the recommendations come from other government or accountability agencies.

Regarding removal of names from ECL, the source said the names of individuals whose cases have been cleared by courts, who died or whose names need not be placed on ECL due to any other reason would be deleted.

"There is a possibility that a person is deceased but their name is still on the ECL. Likewise, there are people who have been cleared by courts or cases against them have been withdrawn. These names need to be removed."

A statement from PM Office did not share details in this regard other than mentioning that the cabinet considered a summary for placement and deletion of names on ECL and constituted a cabinet subcommittee to examine the cases.

Meanwhile, the cabinet approved Deep Sea Fishing Licensing Policy 2018 and the National Food Security Policy. It also approved the transfer of. National College of Arts Lahore and Rawalpindi, Pakistan Chairs Abroad, and Selection of Scholars against Pakistan Chairs Abroad by the Special Selection Board, from the Cabinet Division to Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training. Proposals for the nomination of directors for the board of Pak Arab Refinery Limited (PARCO) and Pakistan Mineral Development Corporation (PMDC) were also approved. It approved the establishment of a fund at State Bank of Pakistan for Line of Credit Facility for Microfinance Banks and Microfinance Institutions

Important appoints approved by the cabinet included those of presiding officer, Special Court (Offences in Banks-II) Lahore, judge, Special Courts (Central-II & III) Lahore, judge, Special Courts (Central) Rawalpindi, extension in deputation period of Member Technical, Customs Appellate Tribunal, Bench-II, Lahore and Extension in contract employment of chief executive officer Pakistan Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC).

The huddle also approved the signing of a number of memorandums of understanding (MoU) between China and Pakistan in the field of forestry,



for the establishment of Joint Commission on Economic Cooperation between Pakistan and Tanzania, Joint Commission between Pakistan and South Africa, cooperation on tourism between Sri Lanka and Pakistan, MoU between the Foreign Service Academy (FSA), Pakistan and Bandaranaike International Diplomatic Institute (BIDTI) of Sri Lanka, between Pakistan Gems and Jewelry Development Company and Gems and Jewelry Research and Training Institute (GJRTI) of Sri Lanka, MoU between Ministry of Health, Brazil, and Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination, Pakistan, between Pakistan and China on cooperation in Frontier Health Quarantine, between Ministry of Energy (Power Division), Pakistan, and Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, Germany for establishment of Pakistan-Germany Renewable Energy Forum (PGREF).

The cabinet ratified the decisions taken by the Economic Coordination Committee of the Cabinet and Cabinet Committee for Disposal of Legislative Cases taken during previous meetings.