Over 4,957 names removed from ECL under new policy

The federal government has removed the names of over 4,957 individuals from the Exit Control List (ECL) and retained the names of 3,236 people under the revised ECL policy announced last year. "Out of 8,223 names on ECL, the Ministry of Interior has removed 4,957 from ECL under new policy announced by Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan in September last year," an official source said.
He said names of 3,236 persons, including those whose period of placement was less than three years and/or those who were involved in anti-state activities, terrorism or were related to proscribed organisations and those placed on the orders of superior courts are still on no-fly list.
According to a notification issued by Ministry of Interior last year, names of individuals will be put on ECL following the recommendation of the Supreme Court, High Courts, tribunals having equivalent status, defence headquarters, federal intelligence agencies, National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).
The notification states that people found involved in the following crimes would not be allowed to travel abroad: (a) espionage, subversion, act of terrorism, conspiracy against state; (b) any act prejudicial to the integrity, security of defence of Pakistan; (c) drug trafficking, human trafficking, money laundering; (d) person belong to proscribed organisation; (e) deserters from a defence or security force or strategic organisation; (f) economic crimes involving public funds and institutional frauds; and (g) tax/loan default or other state liability of more than Rs 50 million or fraud in a public corporate entity (office holder as director) subject to certificate by referring authority that the fraud amount is Rs 100 million or subject to satisfaction by a committee constituted for the purpose.
Under the new policy guidelines, in cases where investigations are under way, the period of placement shall be one year, which shall be subject to review by a committee in the Ministry of Interior on the recommendations of relevant department or agency. In other cases the placement period on ECL shall be three years excluding terrorism, espionage, subversion, act of terrorism, 4th schedulers, anti-state, narcotics and human trafficking cases. The new policy also includes review mechanism and right of appeal.
Any person aggrieved by an order of the federal government may refer on representation, within 15 days to the federal government, for a review of the order setting out in the representation grounds on which he seeks the review. The federal government shall decide the representation made within 60 days. According to the new policy, a quarterly review is undertaken by a committee of Ministry of Interior in consultation with referring authorities for fresh decisions in cases where the period of placement on ECL is about to expire.