This Article is From Dec 18, 2009

Pak Defence Minister barred from travelling to China

Islamabad: Pakistan's Defence Minister Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar, one of the beneficiaries of a graft amnesty struck down by the Supreme Court, was on Thursday barred by authorities from travelling to China on an official visit.

Immigration officials were quoted by TV news channel as saying that Mukhtar was informed that he would not be allowed to board a Pakistani International Airlines flight to
Beijing.

Mukhtar and his wife were prevented from boarding a Pakistan International Airlines flight to Beijing as his name was on a list of people barred from travelling abroad in the
wake of the court's verdict.

Mukhtar, a close aide of President Asif Ali Zardari said he was scheduled to go China with the Naval chief to take delivery of a warship. He said the Interior Secretary had
informed him that his name was in the list of people barred from travelling abroad before he reached the airport.

The Naval chief later left for China on an official visit.

The National Reconciliation Ordinance, a controversial law issued by former military ruler Pervez Musharraf to scrap corruption cases against over 8,000 people, including Zardari and his aides, was declared void by the Supreme Court on Wednesday.
.