Approves addition of PTI leaders to travel ban list after reviewing recommendations of Punjab Home Ministry
Jinnah House (Lahore Corps Commander House), which was set on fire by supporters of former prime minister Imran Khan during a protest against his arrest, in Lahore on May 9, 2023. PHOTO: Reuters/FILE
The federal government has decided to place the names of several Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leaders on the Exit Control List in connection with cases arising out of the May 9 events, sources told The Express Pakinomist.
According to officials familiar with the development, the government has approved the addition of a number of senior PTI figures to the travel ban list after reviewing 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 Tahir and retir.
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Sources said Raja Basharat, Wasiq Qayyum Abbasi and several others have also been prevented from leaving the country. The ECL Committee has forwarded the recommendations for final approval in light of the ongoing investigations related to the May 9 riots.
The decision relates to the violent protests that erupted following the arrest of PTI founder Imran Khan from the Islamabad High Court premises on 9 May 2023. The demonstrations led to widespread vandalism and attacks on public and military property, resulting in hundreds of PTI workers and leaders being charged in related cases.
At least eight people were killed and hundreds injured during the unrest, while around 40 public buildings and military installations were damaged. These included the Lahore Corps Commander’s House (Jinnah House), Askari Tower, General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, ISI office in Faisalabad, FC Fort in Chakdara, Radio Pakistan Peshawar, Swat Motorway Toll Plaza and Mianwali Air Base.
Several PTI leaders, including Senate Opposition Leader Shibli Faraz and former federal minister Fawad Chaudhry, are already facing cases linked to the unrest as investigations and cases continue.
