LAHORE, March 31: The Lahore High Court on Wednesday sought an explanation from the interior ministry for denying PPP secretary-general Jahangir Badr a visit abroad.

The court directed the federal government's standing counsel to obtain and submit on April 8 a report from the interior secretary about reasons for putting Mr Badr's name on the exit control list.

Mr Badr had challenged the government's decision to place his name on the ECL since 1999 without any reasons. Mr Badr's counsel Munir Ahmad Khan submitted that his client was invited by the House of Lords' of the United Kingdom to participate in a debate and launch his book on Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.

He submitted it was an honour for the PPP secretary-general and the country and the government was impeding his way to leave for the UK. Mr Khan submitted that the government was subjecting the PPP secretary-general to discrimination and victimization because many political leaders, who were facing trial in the NAB courts, were allowed to go abroad after the ministry removed their names from the list and granted them special permission to go abroad.

The counsel submitted that the name of Mr Badr, who had twice been a federal minister and held representative offices, was put on the ECL in 1999 without meeting legal requirement. At that time, he was not facing any references against him either.

Mr Khan stated that his client had twice been to abroad since 1999 for which he was given one-time permission by the interior ministry. He returned home on both occasions and there was no likelihood of his staying away this time either.

The counsel cited Article 13 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in support of his plea that his client had a right to go abroad.