PHC orders Qaiser's name off ECL

Court deems inclusion of former NA speaker's name on ECL unconstitutional, illegal

PESHAWAR:

The Peshawar High Court (PHC) ordered on Thursday the removal of former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser's name from the Exit Control List (ECL), terming the addition of his name as unconstitutional and against the law.

The last hearing of the petition, filed by Qaiser, took place on June 23, 2023.

The PTI leader's counsel argued that Qaiser's name was unfairly added to the ECL and he was barred from leaving for Umrah by officials.

The lawyer added that Qaiser was recently again elected to the National Assembly and is a senior politician.

Read PTI’s Qaiser claims rivals evading polls

Earlier in January, the PHC barred the inclusion of former lawmakers from PTI in the fourth schedule.
An individual is placed in the fourth schedule under the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 when there is credible intelligence-information against him of being linked to a proscribed organisation. The person is then subjected to restrictions on travel, speech and business.

The list of individuals who were recommended for inclusion in the fourth schedule included former Speaker Asad Qaiser, along with former members Amjad Ali, Gul Zafar, Iftikhar Mashwani, Mian Sharifat Ali, Abdul Salam, Zaher Shah, Fazal Hakim, and others.