ISLAMABAD, May 19: Federal Minister for Interior Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao on Friday justified his ministry’s act of placing the names of some family members of Jamhoori Watan Party (JWP) Chief Nawab Akbar Bugti on the exit control list (ECL), saying the government had sufficient “evidence” that these persons have links to the trouble-makers in Balochistan.

He was speaking in the Senate in response to an adjournment motion moved by JWP Senator Shahid Hassan Bugti regarding the decision of the government to put him and some 10 others including three women on the ECL. The JWP senator had moved the motion on Thursday and the interior minister had requested the chairman to allow him to give the reply on Friday morning.

“We have a number of reports from various agencies and quarters that some of the ‘ferari’ camps are being operated (in Balochistan) on the insistence of few sardars. We also have reports that financial assistance to these camps is coming from outside the country,” the minister said.

Mr Sherpao said the names of Senator Shahid Bugti and others had been placed on the ECL “with great respect.” The minister further said the senator had the right to challenge the decision in any court of law and the government was ready to produce evidence against him.

The minister further said it was not easy for them to put the names of three women family members of Akbar Bugti on the ECL but it was necessary because these women were providing financial support and protecting those running the ferari camps. “We have sufficient evidence against these women too and we put their names on the ECL very reluctantly,” he added.

The minister accused the JWP chief of violating the agreement signed between him (Akbar Bugti) and the government under which Mr Bugti was to remove certain checkposts and roads were to be opened. However, he said, it never happened and the situation became worse in the province. He said there had been attacks on national assets in the province and the government had to take certain steps to establish its writ in the area.

Earlier, JWP Senator Shahid Bugti while moving his motion had alleged that the interior ministry had taken this step on the directives of military intelligence agencies. “Who is running the country? The house should be informed as to whether these directives have been issued by the interior minister, Aftab Sherpao, or by some colonel or brigadier?” he asked.

Mr Bugti said the letter, which he received on April 25 informing about the government’s decision of putting his name on the ECL, showed that its copies had also been sent to the director-general Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and the heads of the Military Intelligence (MI) and the Intelligence Bureau (IB), besides the chairman of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

Mr Bugti, who is also a nephew of Akbar Bugti, regretted that the names of the public representatives were being put on the ECL on the instructions of the MI. He said democracy could not be established in the country without stopping interference of “uniformed people” in political matters.

The senator said his activities were being constantly monitored during his stay in Islamabad.

“I have been under surveillance since my arrival in the capital. I have been chased by a car and a motorcycle wherever I go in Islamabad,” he alleged.