ECL entrants to be intimated within 24 hours from now onwards, Senate body told

ISLAMABAD: Secretary Interior Ministry on Monday stated that it has been decided that a person will be informed within 24 hours if their name was going to be placed on the Exit Control List (ECL), ARY News reported.

Briefing the Senate Committee on Interior Affairs, the secretary said, a sub-committee had been constituted over matters pertaining to inclusion of exclusion of names from the ECL.

“Previously the names used to be placed on ECL after the courts’ directives, contented secretary interior.

He informed the Senate body that cabinet had proposed interior minister to summon an emergency session and also call on those individuals, who are to be placed on the ECL.

“Every citizen has right to know that whether he is placed on no fly zone list or not”, said the interior secretary.

Earlier today, hearing of the case pertaining to the explanation of procedure regarding induction and removal of names in the Exit Control List (ECL) was adjourned for indefinite period, due to absence of the petitioner.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-led government on Oct 21 decided to bring major amendments to the procedure for inclusion or removal of names from the Exit Control List (ECL).

As per details, the Ministry of Interior readied its recommendations which would likely be presented to Parliament’s relevant standing committee which is scheduled to meet.

The power to include or delete any person’s name from the ECL should rest with the interior secretary instead of the competent authority, according to the recommendations.

Name of any person against whom charges are at an initial or inquiry stage will not be placed on the ECL. Besides, the names already included to the no-fly list without directives of any court of law will be struck off.

On Oct 19, a petition was filed in the Lahore High Court (LHC) challenging the powers of the federal cabinet regarding induction or exclusion of names from the Exit Control List (ECL).

The federal government through the prime minister’s principal secretary, interior minister, NAB chairman and other officials concerned have been named respondents in the petition.

According to the law, the interior secretary has the right to place or remove name of a person from the ECL, argued the petitioner.

He further contended that previously names were not included or excluded from the ECL even on court orders, which made the ECL procedure further complicated.