LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Thursday directed the interior ministry to remove the name of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leader Usman Dar from the Exit Control List (ECL).

Justice Sajid Mehmood Sethi issued a verdict, allowing a petition of Dar which challenged the legality of the impugned memorandum whereby his name was placed on the ECL.

Advocate Abuzar Salman Niazi argued on behalf of the petitioner that his client intended to perform Umrah, along with his family, during Ramazan and had booked confirmed return air tickets for the purpose. He said the petitioner, upon arrival at Sialkot airport from the UAE on Dec 6, 2025, was informed by the immigration authorities that his name had been placed on the ECL the previous day.

He was detained temporarily and released only upon furnishing a written undertaking to seek removal of his name from the ECL prior to any future travel.

The counsel said mere pendency of criminal proceedings, in which the petitioner had been released on bail and had obtained the trial court’s permission to travel, could not justify curtailing his fundamental right to freedom of movement.

An assistant attorney general objected to the petition’s maintainability, stating the petitioner had already filed a review, which was pending before the federal cabinet. He argued the petitioner’s name was placed on the ECL lawfully, on recommendations of Punjab home department and Rawalpindi police, with cabinet approval.

He contended that a prior notice was not required and that an accused on bail cannot bypass the trial court’s authority.

In his judgement, Justice Sethi observed that the impugned memorandum had been issued in a mechanical manner without independent application of mind and without disclosing any reason, whatsoever, for placing the petitioner’s name on the ECL.

The judge directed the interior ministry to remove forthwith the name of the petitioner from the ECL.

Published in Dawn, February 27th, 2026