IHC seeks replies on Rind’s plea to be removed from ECL

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday sought replies from the Ministry of Interior, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and the Director General of Immigration and Passports on a petition filed by former special assistant to the prime minister Sardar Yar Muhammad Rind, seeking the removal of his name from the Exit Control List (ECL).

Justice Inam Amin Minhas heard the petition. During the proceedings, counsel for the petitioner told the court that Rind had arrived at Islamabad International Airport on May 13 to travel abroad but was stopped by immigration authorities.

According to the counsel, immigration officials informed Rind that his name had been placed on the ECL, preventing him from leaving the country. The petitioner argued that he was denied permission to travel after being informed of the restriction at the airport.

The petitioner’s lawyer requested the court to direct the authorities to remove Rind’s name from the travel ban list.

After hearing the preliminary arguments, Justice Minhas issued notices to the Ministry of Interior, the FIA and the Director General of Immigration and Passports, directing them to submit their replies. The court subsequently adjourned the hearing until a later date.

Political and tribal background

Rind’s political career has repeatedly been shadowed by court cases, tribal disputes and election-related legal challenges. One of the most prominent cases against him dates back to 2011, when an anti-terrorism court in Quetta sentenced him, his son and four others to life imprisonment in a kidnapping case involving a man abducted from Sibi in 2009. The sentence was handed down in his absence after he did not appear before the court.

The case resurfaced in 2012 when Rind surrendered before the Supreme Court in Islamabad and was arrested from the court premises after failing to get the sentence reversed. He has consistently maintained that the cases against him were politically motivated and linked to his long-running tribal and political rivalries in Balochistan.

His legal troubles also affected his electoral career. Ahead of the 2018 general elections, an appellate tribunal and later the Balochistan High Court ruled him ineligible to contest. The objections included references to pending criminal cases and questions over his credentials. However, the Supreme Court later suspended the disqualification and allowed him to take part in the polls.

Rind has also faced proceedings in connection with allegations related to an attack on former Balochistan chief minister Aslam Raisani, a matter rooted in the broader hostility between the Rind and Raisani tribes. The feud between the two influential tribal groups has for years shaped local politics in parts of Balochistan and has often spilled into legal and political confrontation.

Beyond these cases, Sardar Yar Muhammad Rind remains one of Balochistan’s most recognisable tribal and political figures. Belonging to Kachhi district, he has been active in politics since the mid-1980s, serving as senator, member of the National Assembly and member of the Balochistan Assembly.

He served as federal minister for food, agriculture and livestock during the PML-Q government and later became a key PTI figure in Balochistan, heading the party’s provincial chapter. During the PTI government, he was appointed special assistant to the prime minister on matters related to water resources, power and petroleum in Balochistan. He also served as provincial education minister and remained a member of the Balochistan Assembly until its dissolution in 2023.