Placement of name in E.C.L. Judgment
PLJ 2014 · Islamabad High Court
This case involved a Pakistani citizen, Riaz Ahmad, who had worked as an auto mechanic in Doha, Qatar since 1995, returning home once a year to see his family. In September 2012, when he arrived in Pakistan, authorities stopped him at the airport because his name had been placed on the Exit Control List, which prevents people from leaving the country. His passport was taken and he was investigated by intelligence agencies, but nothing incriminating was found against him; a local army-constituted committee even issued a character certificate in his favor. Despite this, his name remained on the list, his passport was not returned, and his repeated appeals went unanswered. The government claimed his name was added based on an intelligence recommendation alleging involvement in terrorist activity during a military operation in Swat, but provided no evidence or formal charges.
The Islamabad High Court ruled in his favor, holding that the right to travel is a fundamental constitutional right that cannot be taken away without due process. Since no trial had been held and the petitioner had not been cleared either, keeping him in limbo indefinitely was unlawful. The court ordered his name removed from the Exit Control List and his passport returned immediately.
This case matters because it reinforces that government authorities cannot restrict citizens' fundamental rights, like freedom of movement, based on vague or unproven allegations, and must act fairly and within a reasonable time.
یہ مقدمہ ایک پاکستانی شہری ریاض احمد سے متعلق ہے جو 1995ء سے دوحہ، قطر میں آٹو مکینک کے طور پر کام کر رہا تھا اور سال میں ایک بار اپنے خاندان سے ملنے وطن واپس آتا تھا۔ ستمبر 2012ء میں جب وہ پاکستان پہنچا تو حکام نے ایئرپورٹ پر اسے روک لیا کیونکہ اس کا نام ایگزٹ کنٹرول لسٹ میں ڈال دیا گیا تھا، جو لوگوں کو ملک چھوڑنے سے روکتی ہے۔ اس کا پاسپورٹ ضبط کر لیا گیا اور خفیہ ایجنسیوں نے اس کی تحقیقات کیں، لیکن اس کے خلاف کوئی قابلِ اعتراض بات سامنے نہ آئی؛ بلکہ ایک مقامی فوجی کمیٹی نے اس کے حق میں کردار کا سرٹیفکیٹ بھی جاری کیا۔ اس کے باوجود اس کا نام فہرست سے نہ ہٹایا گیا، پاسپورٹ واپس نہ کیا گیا، اور اس کی بار بار کی اپیلوں کا کوئی جواب نہ دیا گیا۔ حکومت کا کہنا تھا کہ اس کا نام ایک خفیہ ادارے کی سفارش پر شامل کیا گیا تھا جس میں الزام لگایا گیا تھا کہ سوات میں فوجی آپریشن کے دوران وہ دہشت