Putting names on ECL: HEC tendered apology to scholars, Supreme Court informed

Higher Education Commission (HEC) on Tuesday informed Supreme Court that it had tendered apology to its jobless scholars, who were earlier placed on Exit Control List (ECL) to prevent them from leaving the country in search of better jobs.
"You should respect the educated lot," observed Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry after being upset over the attitude of HEC with the scholars. Earlier, the Lahore High Court (LHC), Rawalpindi Bench, had allowed the two HEC scholars, Sajid Ahmad and Shireen Khan, to leave the country.
They had taken the plea that since they were jobless in Pakistan, they should be allowed to go abroad for better jobs. The HEC had filed an appeal in the apex court against the decision of the LHC. On Monday, the bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry noted that since the HEC could not provide job guarantee to the returning scholars, it has no right to stop them from leaving the country in search of better future.
Khwaja Azhar Rashid, counsel for HEC, appeared before the bench and said that they commission had sent apology letters to the students. In addition, he said, the HEC has decided not to press its appeals against the students. The bench dismissed HEC's appeals as not pressed.
Sajid Anwar, a student of MS in Engineering, had gone to South Korea for M. Phil after entering into an agreement with HEC to return within specific time period. But after two years, HEC asked him to return back without completion of practical training there and refused to give him employment as well.