Federal cabinet decides not to take anyone's name off the ECL in the fake accounts case

The federal cabinet met in Islamabad on Wednesday to discuss a 20-point agenda, including the names of 172 people being investigated in a fake accounts case being added to the Exit Control List. It decided not to take their names off the list just yet. The Supreme Court had questioned how the government had placed the names of these people on the no-fly list without its approval. Among many other senior politicians in Sindh, Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah’s name was also on the list and was of particular concern to the court. The cabinet decided that it would decide on a case-by-case basis whether to take people’s names off the list. Prime Minister Imran Khan chaired the meeting. The related agencies have been directed to submit their recommendations to the interior ministry, after which it will be submitted to a review committee. The committee will prepare a report and submit it to the cabinet next week. “We took the step because of the precedent which has been set. The government helped a person being investigated escape from the country. Former PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi gave his plane to Ishaq Dar [former finance minister] and helped him escape,” said Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry while address a press briefing after the meeting. The government has formed a committee to review the prices of fruit and vegetables. The number of judges in the Islamabad High Court has been increased to 10 (including the chief justice) from seven. A Poverty Alleviation Coordination Council has been formed and it will coordinate between existing programmes such as the Benazir Income Support Programme, Pakistan Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal, Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Funds among others. The government has decided to resume the export of gurh (jaggery) to Afghanistan. The export was halted because the Afghan government started charging 20% duty. It has now been reduced to 2.5%.m. Related: The Supreme Court wants to know how 172 names were placed on the ECL without its approval The cabinet decided that it would decide on a case-by-case basis whether to take people's names off the list. Other items on the agenda were the approval of a $5 million grant for the Dubai Expo. The cabinet was also expected to discuss the exchange of prisoners by China and Pakistan as well as the chairpersons of the Greek Council. The formation of a coordination council is likely to be approved to end poverty and the members of the nursing council are likely to get the cabinet’s approval.