Plea in Islamabad HC to put Imran on exit control list

Islamabad high court will hear the petition seeking to include the former Pakistan Minister Imran Khan in the exit control list (ECL) on Monday.

A petition was filed at the Islamabad high court to include Imran khan, Foreign Affairs Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Information and Broadcasting Minister Fawad Chaudhry, and others on the ECL, ARY News reported.

ECL is an Ordinance to provide for the control of the exit of certain persons from Pakistan, according to The News International.

The petitioner pleaded to order an investigation into the Imran Khan's allegations regarding the US conspiracy against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government and also requested the court to order a probe into the attempts to damage Pakistan's image by ending ties with the United States (US).

It sought trial under the High Treason Act.

Meanwhile, in the wake of the prevailing political situation in Pakistan, a senior Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) official has said that the staff of the probe agency has been put on high alert with a directive to stop any government official from travelling abroad without a No-Objection Certificate (NoC).

The move came after Asad Qaiser announced his resignation as National Assembly Speaker late on Saturday night and at the time when Imran Khan was witnessing voting on the no-confidence motion, Dawn newspaper reported.

Notably, Imran Khan has become the first prime minister of Pakistan to lose a no-trust vote in the national assembly.

Despite several attempts to block the no-confidence motion in the national assembly, the voting took place after midnight in which as many as 174 members voted in favour of the motion in the 342-member House while members of the ruling PTI were absent.

The FIA's immigration staff at all international airports of the country was placed on high alert and directed to stop all those government officials who intend to travel abroad without an NoC, the Pakistani newspaper reported.

According to a Pakistani newspaper, the Airport Security Force was also put on high alert and the checking of passengers travelling abroad was increased.

Pakistan's National Assembly will vote on April 11 (Monday) to elect a new prime minister after Imran Khan's government lost the no-confidence motion.