ISLAMABAD – The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has ordered on Wednesday to remove the name of prime minister’s assistant Syed Zulfi Bukhari from the Exit Control List (ECL).
The interior ministry had imposed travel restrictions on Bukhari in August upon the National Accountability Bureau’s request. Bukhari, a British citizen, was accused of owning off-shore companies in the British Virgin Islands, and owning assets beyond his known sources of income.
A two-member IHC bench comprising Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani had reserved the verdict on Dec 4.
However, the court has now ordered the authorities to remove his name from ECL, easing travel restrictions for the tycoon.
The prime minister’s special assistant on overseas Pakistanis and human resource development challenged the decision in the IHC in October.
Zulfi Bukhari is facing another case in the Supreme Court, where his appointment as premier’s aide was challenged on account of his dual nationality
During the course of hearings, National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Special Prosecutor High Courts Imran Shafique also resigned from his post citing ‘personal engagement’.
Shafique was representing the bureau against Zulfi Bukhari and had advocated against removing his name from ECL.
