Politics of ECL

The haste with which the federal government placed 172 people, including the Sindh chief minister, on the Exit Control List on the basis of a JIT report has drawn considerable criticism – not least from the Supreme Court itself. As the chief justice explained, a JIT report is not in itself proof of guilt even though the government seems to be treating it as such. All accused deserve to be treated as innocent until proven otherwise and limiting their freedom of movement when they are not a flight risk is unduly excessive. The game the government seems to be playing is political rather than legal. Rather than wait for the money-laundering cases to be adjudicated by the courts, it has already called for the resignation of Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah. This came in the midst of rumours and fears that the Sindh government was being ousted altogether. There is little chance that can happen through democratic means since the PPP’s numerical strength in the Sindh Assembly is strong enough to withstand any challenge and there don’t seem to be many willing to defect from the party. Imposing governor’s rule is also a non-starter since that would require the consent of the Sindh Assembly.The real danger is not a coup against the Sindh government but retaliatory action by the PPP and other opposition parties. The PTI’s majority in the centre and Punjab is razor-thin. Opposition parties believe – with good reason – that the accountability drive is a pretext for going after opponents of the PTI. They could try and force the government out, something Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said they could easily manage. That is likely just bluster but showdowns of this kind will only add to further instability of the situation. The government has now decided that it will review the list of the people placed on the ECL on a case-by-case basis. This is entirely the wrong way to go about it. The correct process would be to reinstate the fundamental right to free movement for everyone and then wait till they are charged with crimes. Only those who are charged and are believed to be credible flight risks should then have their travel restricted. The ECL is meant to be used sparingly, especially since there is little oversight of its use. For it to be turned into a tool of politics is worrying and destabilising.

from The News International - Editorial http://bit.ly/2Rsobd3