ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Saturday said there was no legal ground or ethical explanation for restricting former federal minister Zartaj Gul from travelling abroad and putting her name on the Exit Control List (ECL).
IHC Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri heard the plea of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader seeking removal of her name from the Exit Control List (ECL) to perform Hajj. The court subsequently issued a written order of the hearing.
The IHC ordered the interior secretary to appoint a senior prosecutor to assist the court. The court stated that the authorised officer should be aware of the case’s facts and bring relevant documents on the next hearing.
The court further remarked that according to the counsel, a number of cases were registered against the petitioner for May 9’s “protest” and she was facing those cases.
The IHC further said that Zartaj was neither absconding nor was wanted in any case and had even secured a bail.
Issuing a notice to the interior secretary, the court has sought a reply from the official.
An anti-terrorism court on April 18 granted Zartaj interim bail in the May 9 case. After arguments from the lawyers, the judge had granted interim bail to the PTI leader until May 10.
She had been named in the case of the attack on a forces’ check post at Rahwali Cantt, Gujranwala, during a protest on May 9, 2023.
Speaking to the media after the court hearing, Zartaj Gul said that many patriotic and innocent citizens had been falsely implicated in terrorism cases merely for political point scoring.
“On May 9, I was present in Dera Ghazi Khan, while cases of terrorism have been filed against me throughout Punjab,” she had said.
