ISLAMABAD: In his first reaction to the Zulfi Bukhari incident, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan on Monday said that he challenges all to prove if he telephoned anyone or used his influence to get his old friend off the Exit Control List (ECL), ARY News reported.
Speaking exclusively to ARY News during a talk show, Imran Khan repeated what his party leaders had earlier said about the incident that he didn’t telephone anyone or even knew about the whole fiasco and it was Zulfi Bukhari himself who followed a “routine procedure” to temporarily remove his name off the no-fly list.
“I challenge all… to prove if I telephoned a single person to get his name off ECL,” said Imran Khan.
He also denied the allegation that he contacted caretaker interior minister Azam Khan to request temporarily remove Zulfi Bukhari’s name off ECL.
About the allegations against Bukhari, the PTI chief said that his friend has all his business in United Kingdom and is not answerable to authorities in Pakistan.
It is pertinent to note here that Zulfi Bukhari flew with Imran Khan to Saudi Arabia on June 11 despite being on the Exit Control List (ECL) for dodging an inquiry by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
Zulfi Bukhari is accused of owning offshore companies and having assets beyond his known sources of income and had reportedly dodged several notices from the anti-graft authority.
A letter written by Section Officer ECL to Director General Immigration and Passports said that Ministry of Interior has decided to grant one time permission to Zulfi Bukhari for performance of Umrah.
The permission was reportedly granted within hours after Bukhari was not allowed to fly with Khan for Umrah by FIA and immigration staff.
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