ISLAMABAD, April 17 Former Sindh chief minister Arbab Ghulam Rahim on Thursday moved Islamabad High Court against federal government's decision of placing his name on the Exit Control List.

The IHC is expected to take up the petition on Monday.

Moved by his counsel Advocate Ahmed Raza Qasuri, the former chief minister in his petition before the IHC under its original jurisdiction sought removal of his name from the ECL.

On Monday last the government had reportedly banned Dr Rahim from leaving the country by placing his name on the ECL. Maintained by the interior ministry, the names of those involved in any sort of financial corruption and crimes are always put on the ECL to prevent them from escaping the investigations.

On April 7, a mob attacked Dr Arbab Rahim and beat him with a shoe when he was leaving the Sindh Provincial Assembly after taking the oath as a newly-elected MPA. The political activists had also shouted slogans against him and used rude and abusive language.

Dr Rahim had also accused the Sindh Home Department of plotting his assassination.

In his petition, Advocate Qasuri told Dawn, his client had claimed that by putting his name on the ECL the government was in fact facilitating his assassins to carry out their mission.

Since he was not involved in any criminal case nor was he a loan defaulter therefore the government had no justification in restraining him from going abroad.

Quoting Article 15 of the Constitution, which ensures freedom of movement, the petitioner pleaded that to step in and step out of the country was the right of every individual as confining any citizen inside the country without any cogent reason would mean making the entire country as an extended jail for him.

Therefore decision to put his name on the ECL is illegal and against the constitution and the it should be declared against the law, he contended.

APP adds A Division Bench (DB) of Islamabad High Court directed officials of Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to appear on April 29 with original results of the polls held on PP- 60 Faisalabad.

The Division bench comprising Justice Mohammad Munir Paracha and Justice Syed Qalbe Hassan, heard the writ petition against alleged rigging.

The bench also directed District Returning Officer to appear before it on the next date of hearing.

Chaudhry Khalid Mehmood Khan of PML-Q, the petitioner, was represented by Rai Mohammad Nawaz Kharal Advocate.

The petitioner had prayed that the returning officer of PP- 60 on February 20, issued a revised result list, showing a difference of one thousand votes.

He said on February 18, the petitioner got 21, 610 votes while 3,083 votes were shown as rejected ones while in the revised result appearing next day the total votes to his credit stood at 20,610 votes while the number of rejected votes swelled to 4,083.

Tahir Abbasi Advocate, representing ECP, rejected the allegation and apprised that no consolidation of results was done on February 19.

He provided a copy of results as provided by the ECP which did not match the earlier copies submitted by the petitioner.

Justice Mohammad Munir Paracha remarked that it appeared that something was wrong somewhere and the concerned DRO had lied in his statement before the court.

He also advised the petitioner to approach Election tribunal as the over confidence he was showing might prove problematic if the court decide against him.

The same bench also adjourned hearing of another writ petition over polls results of NA-203 Shikarapur II, filed by Wahid Khan Bakhsh of PPP through Dr Babar Awan advocate.

It was adjourned on the request of petitioner's counsel.

In the writ petition, Wahid had alleged that massive rigging was done as evident from the turnout percentage which exceeded even hundred per cent.

Ghaus Bakhsh of PML-Q had won the elections from this constituency.