Interior ministry records statement in Zulfi Bukhari's ECL case

Meanwhile, IHC directs parties in PIA case to complete their arguments in the next hearing

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Interior has submitted its response in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) in the plea pertaining to removal of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Special Assistant Zulfi Bukhari from the Exit Control List (ECL).

The court adjourned the hearing till December 28 due to a full court reference pertaining to the retirement of IHC Chief Justice.

The Ministry of Interior on the request of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had placed Bukhari’s name on the ECL.

A divisional bench, comprising Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani conducted the hearing on a petition filed by Bukhari challenging his name on ECL.

NAB and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had already submitted their replies with the bench during the last hearing. After the Interior Ministry submitted its reply, the bench adjourned hearing till next date without further proceeding.

It may be mentioned here that the Interior Ministry had placed Bukhari's name on ECL on recommendations of NAB. Bukhari had approached to the IHC seeking removal of his name from ECL.

He faced an inquiry about “accumulating assets beyond known sources of income”.

In a separate hearing of petition demanding a judicial commission for the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) airplane crash that took the lives of Junaid Jamshed and 47 others, IHC Judge Justice Aamer Farooq directed the two parties to complete their arguments in the next hearing.

Earlier on Monday, the complainant’s lawyer Advocate Umar Farooq alleged that according to the reports, the pilot for the Chitral-Karachi bound flight was intoxicated. The petition was filed by the mother of late Co-Pilot Mansoor Janjua.

He argued that there had been no commission formed to probe the incident. He further said that a judicial commission comprising experts should be formed.

On the occasion, the PIA counsel Advocate Mehmood Alam said investigations were being done by a committee at the government level. He said the incident was being probed with the assistance from experts belonging to Italy and France.

On this, the court said the government should have immediately given the order for investigations. The court also said that it was a tradition for the government to keep matters private.  The court ordered the Civil Aviation lawyer to complete his arguments.

In the hearing pertaining to the appointment of the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) chairman, Justice Aamer Farooq has instructed the parties to record their final arguments.

Earlier on Monday, during the hearing, the complainant’s lawyer Advocate Kashif Niaz Awan and NADRA’s lawyer Afnan Karim Kundi appeared before the court. The court inquired about the recording of their arguments in the case.

Advocate Kashif Niaz said there were some documents yet to be submitted. On this, Afnan Karim Kundi said that the complainant’s lawyer did not appear before the court in the last three hearing.

At this, the court instructed the two parties to record their final statement in the next hearing. The hearing was adjourned to December 7.