Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected a plea to put the names of persons allegedly involved in the ephedrine case on the exit control list (ECL).

The plea was filed by the Anti-Narcotic Force (ANF) which sought inclusion of 14 accused including Ali Musa Gilani, the son of the former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, on the ECL.

A three-member bench, headed by the Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, directed the ANF to approach a trial court in this regard.

Justice Khawaja inquired about the names already placed on the ECL. He asked why Interior Secretary was not including the names of accused persons on the ECL.

“We will have to issue red warrants if suspects flee tomorrow,” he said.

ANF’s Regional Director Brigadier Fahim told the court that Gilani’s Personal Assistant Tauqar Ali had already escaped to Dubai.

The court summoned the interior secretary on charges of pressurizing a Health Department’s officer. The interior secretary filed his reply after the hearing was adjourned. SAMAA