The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Friday for the last time gave 10 more days to the interior ministry to place on record details of the involvement of the chairman of Mohajir Qaumi Movement-Haqiqi (MQM-H), Afaq Ahmed, in terrorist activities to justify its move to place his name on the Exit Control List (ECL).
An SHC bench, headed by Justice Ahmed Ali M Sheikh, gave this order while hearing the petition filed by Afaq Ahmed against the placement of his name on the ECL.
Afaq contended that he had applied for a passport on January 1 last year for travelling abroad and performing Umrah, but FIA's director for passports and immigration had informed him that his name had been placed on the ECL, so he could not be issued a passport.
The petitioner further submitted that law-enforcement agencies had filed a report before the court submitting that he was not involved in terrorist activities, but it failed to satisfy the court why his name had been placed on the ECL.
He requested the court to order the FIA to issue him a passport so that he could travel to Saudi Arabia and perform an Umrah. Earlier, the bench had directed the interior ministry to submit details why Afaq Ahmed's name had been placed on the ECL.
The Deputy Attorney-General (DAG) sought more time for providing the court with relevant record and details of Afaq Ahmed's involvement in terrorist activities. The court expressed displeasure over non-compliance of court orders and granted 10 more days and told the DAG that this was the last time his request for more time was being granted. The said that if relevant record was not submitted, the court would rule on the constitutional petition on the basis of the available record.