Islamabad High Court Wednesday issued notices to respondents in a petition seeking the court's directions to investigate the issue of removing Zulfi Bukhari's name from the ECL and usage of Noor Khan Airbase for facilitating the departure of private persons through a private plane.
A single bench of IHC comprising Justice Aamer Farooq heard the petition and directed secretaries of defence and interior and director general FIA to submit their replies on the next hearing.
After issuing notices, the bench deferred hearing in this matter till June 22 for further proceedings in this matter.
The petition was moved by a citizen Muhammad Kausar through his counsel Colonel Inamur Rahim (retd) Advocate and he cited the federation of Pakistan through secretary Ministry of Defence, secretary Ministry of Interior and director general (DG) Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) as respondents.
The petitioner stated that on June 11, 2018, Zulfiqar Hussain Bukhari, commonly known as Zulfi Bukhari, accompanied PTI chairman Imran Khan on his way to Saudi Arabia, while Bukhari's name was on the ECL. Therefore, he was stopped by immigration authorities at Noor Khan Airbase.
He added that the name of Zulfi was placed on the ECL along with other owners of offshore companies in line with the order of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in connection with its probe into the Panama Papers scandal and the said action of placing the name of Bukhari on the ECL by the NAB was on the directions of the Supreme Court to take action against all those who owned offshore firms.
The petitioner maintained that the PTI chairman allegedly used his influence with the caretaker government to have Bukhari's name removed from the ECL and the Ministry of Interior in this regard issued a letter granting one-time 'permission' to Bukhari for six days.
The counsel for Kausar contended that the proper procedure was not followed for the removal of Zulfi's name from the ECL which requires the clearance from the cabinet's sub-committee that deals with the ECL cases. Whereas it has also been alleged that Bukhari's name was removed from the ECL on the intervention of Interim Interior Minister Azam Khan who is closely linked to Imran Khan, he added.
He continued that the interim interior minister is a board member of Imran Khan Foundation (IKF), a charity and welfare organization managed by Imran Khan.
He prayed to the court that the matter may be investigated by DG FIA that on whose orders and directions the name of Zulfiqar Hussain Bukhari was removed from the ECL and under what authority of law Noor Khan Airbase, reserved for defence purposes, was used for facilitating the departure of private persons through a private plane.