*ISLAMABAD: *The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has permitted the Ministry ofInterior to decide an application of the National Accountability Bureau(NAB), which seeks placing name of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman ImranKhan’s close aide Zulfikar Abbas Bukhari alias Zulfi Bukhari on the ExitControl List (ECL) in connection with establishing offshore companies inthe British Virgin Islands (BVI).
IHC’s Justice Aamer Farooq has held that the Ministry of Interior (MoI)shall be at liberty to take appropriate action in accordance with the lawon NAB’s application for placing Bukhari’s name on the ECL.
Justice Farooq, while allowing one prayer clause of Bukhari’s petitionseeking removal of his name from the ECL and the blacklist, has ordered theministry and Directorate General of Immigration and Passports to “do theneedful”.
However, “It is needless to observe that [the interior ministry] shall beat liberty to take appropriate action in accordance with the law on theapplication of [NAB] for placing the name of petitioner on the ECL,” theorder reads.
In the detailed order, Justice Farooq has observed that it is an admittedposition that NAB is conducting an inquiry against Bukhari due to variousallegations that he, in connivance with others, has established offshorecompanies in the BVI.
The judge added that it was on that basis that NAB made a request to theministry that Bukhari’s name is placed on ECL inasmuch as if he leaves thecountry, the same shall hamper the inquiry, as the petitioner is a dualnational of Pakistan and the United Kingdom.