Approves addition of PTI leaders to travel ban list after considering recommendations of Punjab Home Ministry
Jinnah House (Lahore Corps Commander’s House), set on fire by supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan during a protest against his arrest, in Lahore, May 9, 2023. PHOTO: Reuters/FILE
The federal government has decided to include the names of several Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leaders in the exit control list in connection with cases arising out of the May 9 events, sources told Express News.
According to officials familiar with the developments, the government approved the addition of a number of senior PTI leaders to the travel ban list after considering recommendations forwarded by the Punjab Home Ministry.
The list reportedly includes Imran Khan, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Omar Ayub, Fawad Chaudhry, Shibli Faraz, Ali Amin Gandapur, Shehryar Afridi, Usman Dar, Shireen Mazari, Zartaj Gul, Musarrat Cheema, Kanwal Shauzab, Sheikh Rashid, Sheikh Rasheed and retired Major Tahir Sadiq.
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Sources said Raja Basharat, Wasiq Qayyum Abbasi and several others were also barred from leaving the country. The ECL committee forwarded the recommendations for final approval in light of ongoing investigations related to the May 9 unrest.
The decision refers to the violent protests that erupted after the arrest of PTI founder Imran Khan at the Islamabad High Court premises on May 9, 2023. The protests led to widespread vandalism and attacks on public and military properties, which resulted in the incarceration of hundreds of PTI workers and leaders in related cases.
At least eight people were killed and hundreds injured during the riots, while around 40 public buildings and military installations were damaged. These included the Corps Commander’s House in Lahore (Jinnah House), Askari Tower, General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, ISI office in Faisalabad, FC Fort in Chakdara, Radio Pakistan Peshawar, Swat Highway Toll Plaza and Mianwali Air Base.
Several PTI leaders, including Leader of Opposition in the Senate Shibli Faraz and former federal minister Fawad Chaudhry, are already facing cases related to the unrest, as investigations and proceedings continue.
