ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Interior (MoI) on Wednesday forwarded its report to Prime Minister Office about Syed Zulfi Bukhari’s visit to Saudi Arabia despite his name being on the Exit Control List (ECL).

Geo quoted the ministry saying that it had placed Bukhari, a close aide to Imran Khan, on the blacklist category over the recommendation of National Accountability Bureau (NAB). 

Sources told the channel that people featuring on the blacklist cannot be given one-time permission(OTP) to travel abroad.

The NAB had expressed serious concern after it was overlooked by the ministry before grating permission to allow Bukhari to fly abroad  to perform Umrah along with PTI chairman Imran Khan and his wife.

Caretaker prime minister Nasir ul Mulk had sought a report.

On Monday, Bukhari was briefly stopped from flying to Saudi Arabia along with Imran Khan.

Senator Sherry Rehman also questioned the move to allow Bukhari to travel abroad. 

"A one-off waiver by a Caretaker Interior Ministry to anyone, put on ECL by NAB without intimation from NAB, will be seen as arbitrary. Caretaker ministers cannot be seen granting undue favours to any one party, at this stage or the next. Hope there is a valid public explanation," she tweeted. 

Imran Khan’s political secretary Awn Chaudhry, who is accompanying Khan to Saudi Arabia, defended Zulfi Bukhari's departure from Pakistan.

“Sad to see how Zulfi Bukhari is being victimised for being close to Imran Khan. But unlike Hasan and Husain Sharif, Zulfi is not running away or claiming immunity by being a British national,” he tweeted.

“Zulfi Bukhari is returning with us to Pakistan and is ready to face all kind of investigations and media propaganda. Its just a small price that one has to pay to be Imran Khan’s companion!,” Chaudhry added.