ISLAMABAD
\n The Islamabad High Court on Tuesday suspended the Federal Investigation Agency\u2019s (FIA) notification about placing names of former Prime Minister Imran Khan\u2019s aides, including Shahzad Akbar, Shahbaz Gill and four others, on the \u2018stop list\u2019.
\nIt is to mention that the FIA has introduced a system of \u2018stop list\u2019 during 2003 to stop unwanted people from trying to leave the country in the shortest possible time as placing someone\u2019s name on Exit Control List takes a long time.
\nIt has been reported that the FIA had a day ago placed six key members of the former PTI government \u2014 Gill; Akbar; Imran Khan\u2019s focal person on digital media, Dr Arsalan Khalid; ex-PM Imran\u2019s principal secretary Azam Khan; Punjab Anti Corruption Director-General Gohar Nafees; and Mohammad Rizwan \u2014 on the \u201cstop list\u201d. Any person placed on the \u201cstop list\u201d is not allowed to leave the country.
\nInvoking jurisdiction of the IHC on Tuesday, Shahzad Akbar urged the court restraining order to the FIA against imposing bar on him and others from travelling abroad.
\nDuring the proceedings, the IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah observed the court had already declared the \u201cblack list\u201d illegal to which Akbar requested the bench to summon the FIA chief and inquire from him on whose directions his name was placed on the no-fly list.
\nHe submitted that the concerned should proceed against him in case he has committed a crime. The court, while referring to Gill and Akbar, asked whether the duo had plans to go abroad by tomorrow. \u201cWe are seeking a reply from the FIA tomorrow,\u201d Justice Minallah said.
\nIn its written order, the court issued directives to the respondents to appear at 10.30am on Wednesday and explain \u201cwho had authorised in order to place names of the petitioners and other three officials closely associated with the former premier on the list.
\n\u201cThey are expected to satisfy the court that the action was not based on victimisation,\u201d the court said in its order.
\nIt further maintained that \u201cthe operation of the no fly list\/PNIL to the extent of the petitioners and other three officials \u2014 Muhammad Azam Khan, Muhammad Gohar Nafees and Arsalan Khalid \u2014 shall remain suspended.\u201d
\nIt is pertinent to mention that national media reported that earlier, Akbar in his petition has made the Ministry of Interior, FIA director general, and FIA Immigration\u2019s additional director general as respondents. The petitioner pointed out in the petition that his name was placed on the no-fly list \u201cat about 1.55am\u201d, just after voting on the no-confidence motion in the National Assembly had taken place, which he said \u201cshowed malafide on part of the respondents, who acted at the behest of someone behind the scene without having an inquiry of complaint by any party.\u201d
\nHe urged the court to declare the FIA\u2019s act void and unconstitutional and order an inquiry into it.
\nIn a statement after the hearing, Akbar said the court had sought replies from the FIA chief and the interior secretary by 10:30am on Wednesday, asking them why the names were placed on the list after voting on the no-trust move against former prime minister Imran Khan and on whose instruction these names were added since there was no government in place at the time.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISLAMABAD The Islamabad High Court on Tuesday suspended the Federal Investigation Agency\u2019s (FIA) notification about placing names of former Prime Minister Imran Khan\u2019s aides, including Shahzad Akbar, Shahbaz Gill and four others, on the \u2018stop list\u2019. It is to mention that the FIA has introduced a system of \u2018stop list\u2019 during 2003 to stop unwanted […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-254589","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-top-news"},"yoast_head":"\n