Notices issued to Interior Secretary: Father of deceased ‘terrorist’ challenges his name on ECL

Abdus Salam is living in hotel and has no source of income.

KARACHI:

A US citizen of Pakistani origin who came to Karachi to attend the funeral of his son, who allegedly blew himself after a raid by Pakistan Rangers, has moved Sindh High Court for removal of his name from the Exit Control List (ECL).

The petitioner, Muhammad Abdus Salam, maintained that he came to Pakistan on November 21, 2011 along with his wife, Hasna, to attend the funeral of his son Moeed who was killed at his flat in Gulistan-e-Johar when Rangers raided the complex and deceased allegedly blew himself up with a hand grenade.

The petitioner submitted that he is a senior citizen, 70 years of age and so is his wife. He said that his entire family is living in US and when he went to the airport to go back, he was stopped by the FIA which said his name was on the ECL.

He maintained that he has to live in a hotel and bear expenses for boarding and lodging. He has no source of income in Pakistan and was thus facing financial hardship.

He said that he had no nexus with the activities of his deceased son and placing of name on the ECL without any information or notice was mala fide.

He prayed to the court to direct the FIA and other respondents to delete his name from ECL.

The bench, comprising Chief Justice Mushir Alam and Justice Ahmed Ali M Sheikh, after hearing Nehal Hashmi advocate, counsel for petitioner, federal interior secretary and other respondents on notice for a date to be decided later.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 25^th, 2011.