ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has ordered the removal of former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) director general retired Lt General Asad Durrani’s name from the Exit Control List (ECL).
IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah was hearing a petition filed by Durrani seeking removal of his name from the no-fly list. The judge asked Deputy Attorney General Syed Tayyab Shah whether the former chief’s name had been placed on the ECL due to an inquiry against him.
Chief Justice Minallah observed that the court had examined all records and was no inquiry against Durrani when his name was placed on the ECL in 2018, adding that the retired general has rights like all citizens.
Gen (retd) Durrani found himself in controversy after co-authoring a book with A.S. Dulat, the former head of India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), in 2018. Durrani’s name was placed on the ECL by the Interior Ministry in May 2018. He challenged the move in the IHC in 2019.
During the hearing, the IHC chief justice asked the deputy attorney general to provide grounds otherwise there is no basis for keeping Durrani’s name on the ECL.
Additional Attorney General Tariq Khokhar appeared in front of the court and informed that according to the record, there was no inquiry underway at the time. He said the petitioner is a retired three-star general and has also remained the ISI director but is now he is a common citizen and has the right to freedom of movement.
Justice Minallah questioned whether the federal government the authority to place anyone’s name on the ECL. “According to the record, there is no fresh inquiry against Asad Durrani. There is no reason for keeping his name on the ECL,” he said.
The court then ordered that the former ISI chief’s name be removed from the list. Gen Durrani had claimed that the government had put his name on the ECL over an inquiry related to a book. The inquiry has since been concluded and his name was still on the list.
