Travel ban to continue on Pakistan Peoples Party leaders

Islamabad, Jan 11 (IANS) The government has decided to continue a travel ban imposed on top Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leaders, including chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari.

The decision was taken at a federal cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan here on Thursday, reports Dawn news.

The cabinet, at its meeting on December 27, had decided to place names of 172 suspects of the fake bank accounts and money laundering case, including top PPP leaders and Bahria Town owner Malik Riaz, on the Exit Control List (ECL).

However, the Supreme Court, which is monitoring the case, on December 31 ordered the government to review the decision.

The cabinet in its last meeting had referred the matter to a special committee of the interior ministry to review it.

On Thursday, the committee presented its report to the cabinet recommending removal of 20 names from the ECL, including those of the PPP leaders.

However, Prime Minister Khan and his team rejected the recommendations and decided that the names of the top leaders of the PPP would remain on the ECL.

Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said that names of the PPP leaders would remain on the ECL until a detailed written order of the Supreme Court was received.

In response, the PPP called the development a "dictatorial decision", Dawn said.

"The cabinet decision has not only exposed the 'ugly' face of Imran Khan but the fact that dictatorship is prevailing in the country which does not even accept the decisions of the Supreme Court," said PPP leader Nafisa Shah in a statement.