MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 26th May, 2023) Opposition leader and former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan was listed among 226 politicians from his party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (Pakistan Movement for Justice), who are restricted from traveling abroad, however Imran Khan himself stated, that he wasn't planning to leave anyway.
"I want to thank the government for putting my name on the ECL (Exit Control List) as I have no plans to travel abroad...," Khan wrote in his Twitter.
The reason for the ban was suspected involvement in the riots that took place in Pakistan on May 9 and claimed the lives of about 10 people. The riots broke out after Khan was detained by the authorities, although he was soon released on bail.
Pakistani news channel Geo News reported that some leaders of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party have tried to leave Pakistan in the past three days and have been stopped at airports.
The Special Assistant to Prime Minister Faisal Karim Kundi alleged that Khan would soon apply for political asylum in the United States, the media reported.
"I have been told by my sources that Imran Khan will soon apply for political asylum in America. Soon, we will see news flashing on our tv screens that Imran Khan has applied for �political asylum," Faisal Karim Kundi said, as cited by the media.
Khan was taken into custody on May 9 on corruption charges. Following his arrest, the PTI called on Pakistani citizens to gather for mass demonstrations to demand the lawmaker's release. Mass protests erupted across the country, with activists torching police vehicles, attacking military facilities and damaging government property with police responding by using gas and water cannons to disperse the crowds.
