- Action linked to May 9, 2023 violent unrest and attacks on public, military property
- ECL Committee forwards recommendations for final approval amid ongoing investigations
ISLAMABAD: The federal government has moved to place several senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders, including former prime minister Imran Khan, on the Exit Control List (ECL) in connection with investigations into the violent May 9, 2023, incident.
The decision comes amid ongoing probes into widespread unrest and attacks on public and military property that erupted following Khan’s arrest from the Islamabad High Court premises.
According to officials familiar with the development, the government approved the inclusion of multiple PTI figures on the travel ban list after reviewing recommendations from the Punjab Home Department. The proposed 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, and Major (retd) Tahir Sadiq. Additional names, such as Raja Basharat and Wasiq Qayyum Abbasi, are also under consideration.
The ECL Committee has forwarded these recommendations for final approval, citing the need to ensure accountability while investigations continue into the May 9 unrest. The protests involved widespread vandalism and violent attacks on several key installations, including the Lahore Corps Commander’s House (Jinnah House), Askari Tower, General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, ISI Faisalabad, FC Fort Chakdara, Radio Pakistan Peshawar, Swat Motorway Toll Plaza, and Mianwali Air Base.
The violent demonstrations resulted in at least eight fatalities, hundreds of injuries, and the arrest of numerous PTI workers and leaders. Several figures, including Shibli Faraz, are already facing legal proceedings in connection with the unrest. Authorities have emphasised that the move to add senior PTI leaders to the ECL is part of ongoing efforts to facilitate the investigations and ensure that those implicated remain available for questioning and legal action.
