Pakistan People's Party (PPP) on Saturday urged Interior Ministry through a letter to place names of nine PTI federal and provincial ministers as well as stalwarts on Exit Control List (ECL) as either investigation is under way against them for corrupt practices or references have been filed against them.
According to the letter, besides Prime Minister Imran Khan's name, the list contains names of federal ministers Pervez Khattak, Fehmida Mirza, Maqbool Siddiqui and Zubaida Jalal, Chief Minister KPK Mehmood Khan, senior minister KPK Atif Khan, Senior Minister Punjab Aleem Khan and Jehangir Khan Tareen. The letter sent to State Minister for Interior Shehryar Afridi by the PPPP secretary general further said that more names would follow.
If names are to be placed on the ECL merely on the basis of JIT reports, the same principle will have to be applied uniformly and without discrimination, the letter said.
The letter reads: "The information minister announced on December 27 placing the names of PPP leaders including ex-President Asif Ali Zardari, Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, MNA Faryal Talpur and CM Sindh Murad Ali Shah on the Exit Control List. The cabinet had decided to place all the 172 persons named in a JIT report on the ECL, the announcement said.
"Significantly, the ECL decision by the cabinet was made within hours of the meeting of the Central Executive Committee (CEC) of the PPP in Nauderao, Sindh, on the occasion of the 11th martyrdom anniversary of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto. The CEC denounced political vendetta in the garb of accountability, demanded uniform accountability of all paid out of national exchequer and also took some important decisions to respond to current political challenges.
"Placing the PPP leaders on the ECL immediately after the CEC meeting makes clear the political motivation behind the decision. The fact that many names in the list of 172 persons didn't even contain full details also shows the hurried knee-jerk reaction to the PPP CEC meeting."
"A new element in the ECL policy also seems to have been introduced. Under it people may be placed on ECL merely on the basis of a one-sided prosecution narrative without even a formal reference, court case and without taking into account defence plea. The PPP, therefore, expects and demands that the names of PTI leaders forwarded are also placed on the ECL," the letter concluded.