Cabinet committee recommends putting ex-PM Imran Khan, 28 others on ECL

ISLAMABAD, Nov 22 (SABAH): A sub-committee of the federal cabinet on Wednesday recommended placing the names of Pakistan Tehreek-Insaf Chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan and 28 others on the Exit Control List (ECL) in the Al-Qadir Trust case.

The case alleges that the ex-premier and his wife, Bushra Bibi, obtained billions of rupees and land worth hundreds of kanals from Bahria Town Ltd for legalising Rs50 billion that was identified and returned to the country by the UK during the previous PTI government.

Imran Khan was initially arrested in the said case earlier this year from the premises of the Islamabad High Court but was later released after the Supreme Court declared the arrest unlawful.

On Nov 14, the PTI chief, who is already imprisoned in Adiala Jail in the cipher case, was again arrested by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in the Al-Qadir Trust case. He was then handed over to the watchdog on physical remand.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the Ministry of Interior said a meeting of the subcommittee of the federal cabinet was held on Wednesday. It was attended by interim Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti and officials of other departments.

“The committee recommended putting the names of 41 people sent by various departments and institutions on the ECL. On the recommendation of NAB, names of 29 people, including Imran Khan, were recommended to be put on the ECL in the £190 million scandal,” it said.

Separately, recommendations were also made to remove 13 cases from the list. The ministry said courts had sought the removal of seven names from the ECL and “of the appeals submitted for revision, it was recommended to remove the names of three people from the ECL”.

It added that the recommendations of the committee have been sent to the federal cabinet for approval.