IHC orders removal of PTI lawyer Babar Awan's name from no-fly list

• IHC seeks reply from interior ministry on Zain Qureshi’s plea.
• Annoys over not removing Sami Ibrahim’s name from no-fly list.
• His name was put on ECL later on request of police, court told.

In yet another relief for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the Islamabad High Court on Friday directed the interior ministry to remove the name of the former ruling party’s lawyer Babar Awan’s name from the Exit Control List (ECL).

Earlier this week, the IHC had suspended sentence of PTI founder Imran Khan and his spouse, Bushra Bibi, in the Toshakhana case.

The government had placed Awan’s name on the ECL over his alleged involvement in the £190 million settlement case. He was the member of the Al-Qadir Trust.

During the course of the proceedings, Islamabad High Court Bar President Riasat Ali Azad, Awan’s counsel, apprised the court that his client’s name was added to the no-fly list due to an inquiry related to the trust.

“When the reference was filed, the petitioner’s name was not mentioned in the list of the accused,” he argued.

The lawyer pleaded with the court to remove his client’s name from the exit control list as he was named in the refence.

After hearing arguments from both the sides, Justice Saman Rafat Imtiaz ordered the authority concerned to remove Awan’s name form the ECL.

In another case, Chief Justice Aamer Farooq-led IHC bench ordered the director general of the interior ministry’s immigration and passport department to renew the passport of PTI-backed MNA Makhdoom Zain Hussain Qureshi — son of PTI Vice-Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi.

Hearing his plea seeking removal of his name from the no-fly list and renewal of his passport, the IHC sought reply from the ministry until April 29.   

Arrest warrants issued for secretary interior

Irked by “flouting” the court’s orders, IHC Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan issued the arrest warrants for secretary interior ministry for not removing the name of Sami Ibrahim from the no-fly list.

Hearing Ibrahim’s petition, the IHC judge expressed his displeasure after the journalist’s name was not taken off from the ECP despite court’s order and sought a report in this regard from the interior secretary within one hour.

The judge warned that if he fails to submit a satisfactory answer, a contempt of court proceedings would be initiated against him. The public prosecutor apprised the court that the DG passport was on his way to the court.

Meanwhile, the court issued bailable arrest warrants for the secretary interior ministry and ordered the concerned SHO to produce the officer at 2:30pm.

In the meantime, the DG reached the court and apprised the judge that the court’s ordered had been implemented.

Ibrahim’s name was not added to the ECL at that time, he said, adding that his name was put on the no- fly list later on the request of the police.