KARACHI, Feb 28: The Sindh High Court issued the federal interior ministry a notice in a contempt petition against its failure to remove the name of Sardar Akhtar Mengal, Balochistan National Party and former chief minister of the province, from the exit control list.

An SHC division bench had directed that the ex-CM’s name be taken off the ECL and that he be allowed to travel abroad in November 2005. Sardar Akhtar Mengal moved a contempt petition through Advocate Syed Ghulam Shah Bukhari, saying that the SHC order had not been complied with and that he was not being allowed to proceed despite several requests made to the interior ministry.

A division bench, comprising Chief Justice Sabiihuddin Ahmed and Justice Sain Ali Dino Metlo, ordered that a notice to the ministry be issued for Feb 9.

Meanwhile, a petition challenging the continued detention of Jamhoori Watan Party leader Rauf Sasoli has been filed by Advocate Noor Naz Agha. The petition says that the JWP leader was picked up from outside the Safari Park, Karachi, on Feb 3 by three uniformed and two plainclothes policemen and taken to an unknown place in a car. He had not been seen or heard of since. It said Mr Sasoli had not been produced before a magistrate as required by the law. It requested the court to order his production and release.