ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Federal Minister for Interior Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has said that a separate Exit Control List (ECL) policy would be formulated for foreigners.
In a news conference in Islamabad on Wednesday, the minister announced the new ECL policy and said that people can be put on the ECL for the maximum three years under the new policy.
The minister said that people belonging to the proscribed organizations, accused of drug trafficking and involved in spying against the country would never be allowed to travel abroad.
Nisar told that names of about 5,000 people have been removed from the new ECL and over 59,000 from the black list.
SMS Raabta service launched to facilitate people in getting passports
The interior minister also launched the SMS Raabta service to facilitate people in getting passports. He said that both passport and computerised national identity card (CNIC) systems are being simplified to facilitate people.
The minister said that people would be kept abreast with the processing of their applications and they would be able to give their feedback as well.
The interior minister said that 13 centers will be established in the country, starting from Lahore, Islamabad and Karachi. He said that delivery of passports at homes would be initiated from Islamabad/Rawalpindi next month and will be expanded to the entire country in a span of six months.
Chaudhry Nisar further said that machinery for Machine Readable Passports will soon be dispatched to 91 Missions abroad.
