Pak to ban ex-president Zardari, his sister from travelling abroad

Pakistan on Thursday said it will place former president Asif Ali Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur on the Exit Control List (ECL) to prevent them from flying abroad after they were named in a Supreme Court-appointed joint investigative team probing fake bank accounts.

The JIT, constituted by the apex court on September 5, probe focused on "32 fake accounts" which were allegedly used to give massive financial benefits to Zardari, Talpur and several others.

Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said that the Cabinet has decided to place on the ECL all 172 suspects, including Zardari and his sister, involved in cases of money laundering and use of fake bank accounts, Dawn reported.

Those persons on the list are prohibited from leaving Pakistan.

"I was watching Asif Ali Zardari say that he does not take the JIT seriously," recalled the minister. "Hopefully, he will take it seriously after today. In the upcoming days he will know the seriousness of this inquiry."
Chaudhry said that the decision was taken because "this money belongs to the people of Pakistan."
"They did nothing in their 100 days," he said. "They will be unable to run the country despite foreign support by friendly countries."
"The country's rein has been handed to an inexperienced PM today," Bilawal said. "He has drowned the public in a sea of inflation within his first 100 days. He has brought the economy to a point from where there is no return," he said, accusing "the puppet" prime minister of "wanting to turn the country into one unit and establish a one-party unit."