An anti-terrorism court (ATC) has turned down a request by former Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad to travel abroad for Umrah.
The ruling was delivered by ATC Judge Amjad Ali Shah.
During proceedings, the prosecutor informed the court that Sheikh Rasheed’s name had been added to the Exit Control List (ECL). In light of this, the court dismissed his application.
The prosecutor noted that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had placed his name on the ECL following directives from the federal government, as all individuals accused in the May 9 and GHQ attack cases were included on the list.
Sheikh Rasheed’s counsel argued that the decision would be contested in the high court, pointing out that the high court had previously granted him permission to perform Umrah. He described the fresh inclusion of Sheikh Rasheed’s name on the ECL as a violation of court orders.
The lawyer further maintained that higher courts had ruled that names of accused individuals cannot be placed on the ECL solely due to pending cases, citing precedents involving Nawaz Sharif, Shehbaz Sharif, Pervez Musharraf, Ayyan Ali, and Faryal Talpur.
Speaking to the media outside the courtroom, Sheikh Rasheed expressed surprise at learning that his name had again been placed on the ECL. He noted that this marked the second time his name had been added, after it had previously been removed.
He stated that he intends to approach the high court once more to challenge the decision and seek permission to travel for Umrah.
