ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has said that thousands of names will be removed from the exit control list (ECL) if the departments concerned fail to provide within a month justifications for keeping them on it.

During a meeting held here on Monday to review the new ECL framework, he said governments in the past used the ECL as a tool to punish or favour people, adding that several names had been on the list for decades.

He said the procedure for inclusion of names in the ECL would be simplified and justice would be ensured in the process.

He directed the ministry to finalise its recommendations on the new ECL framework after consultations with other ministries and departments concerned.

No name should be put on the list without justification, he said, adding that it was not appropriate to keep somebody’s name on the ECL for an indefinite period.

Nisar reviews FIA investigations in corruption cases

He said the National Database and Registration Authority would help in preparing a central database of the ECL and provide services and expertise to devise an online mechanism for registration of NGOs and regulating their activities.

The minister presided over another meeting that reviewed the progress of investigations into mega scams and directed the FIA to take the cases to their logical conclusion. The meeting was attended by senior officials of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

It discussed major scandals, including Hawala and Hundi cases, and progress made so far. The meeting also reviewed the internal accountability mechanism of the FIA and performance-based incentives for its officials.

Chaudhry Nisar asked the FIA director general to submit recommendations in two days about officials whose performance needed to be recognised.

Scams involving the Employees Old-Age Benefit Institution, Trade Development Authority of Pakistan and Pakistan State Oil and the Haj scandal also came under discussion.

The meeting was informed that of the 109 cases, challans had been submitted in 79 cases while 30 were under investigation.

The minister directed the FIA to vigorously pursue all cases without fear or favour and warned against the practice of sparing the big fish and laying hands on petty suspects.

He said services of leading lawyers should be hired to ensure that suspects involved in the scams did not benefit from shortcomings in prosecution.

Also on Monday, the interior minister talked to Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah on phone and discussed with him the recent empowerment of the FIA giving it authority to detain suspects for 90 days.

Chaudhry Nisar told Mr Shah that the powers given to the FIA under the Protection of Pakistan Act were not Sindh-specific. “The basic purpose of giving the powers to the FIA is to assign the authority investigations into international and inter-provincial crimes which are beyond the jurisdiction of provincial police forces.”

He assured Mr Shah that the federal government respected provincial autonomy and there was no reason for any province to have any reservation in this respect.

Published in Dawn, July 7th, 2015

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