Top court orders removal of CM Murad, Bilawal’s names from ECL

F.P. Report

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan has ordered to remove the names of Chairman Pakistan People’s Party Bilawal Bhutto and Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah from the Exit Control List, on Thursday.

According to reports, Justice Ijazul Ahsan wrote the verdict in which the court ordered the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to send all the evidence and relevant material to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

The verdict stated that the JIT will assist the NAB in the investigation and submit the report to the court within 15 days.

The order stated that if concrete evidence is found against the PPP chairman and CM Sindh then their names can be added to the ECL.

The court mentioned that the NAB will thoroughly probe the material regarding and if there is no case to be constituted it will remove the names from the ECL.

Earlier on January 7, the Supreme Court had ordered the NAB to initiate a fresh inquiry into the mega money laundering and fake bank accounts case.

The apex court ordered NAB to investigate the case in light of a report recently submitted by a joint investigation team probing the matter, and to complete its investigation within two months.

“NAB can probe Bilawal and CM Shah independently. If after the investigation a reference can be formed, then it should be filed,” Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar observed.

The Federal Investigation Agency is investigating 32 people in relation to money laundering from fictitious accounts, including Zardari and Talpur. Zardari’s close aide Hussain Lawai was arrested in July in connection with the probe.

The former president’s other close aide and Omni Group chairman Anwar Majeed a close aide and Omni Group chairman and his son, Abdul Ghani, were arrested by FIA in August.

Over 20 ‘benami’ accounts at some private banks were opened in 2013, 2014 and 2015 from where transactions worth billions of rupees were made, according to sources.

The amount, according to FIA sources, is said to be black money gathered from various kickbacks, commissions and bribes.