IHC orders to remove Zulfi Bukhari's name from black list

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court  (IHC) on Friday ordered the Interior Ministry to remove Zulfi Bukhari's name from the black list.

Bukhari, a close aide of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan, was placed on black list by the government on the  request of National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

Justice Aamer Farooq of the IHC had on Tuesday reserved the verdict.

The PTI leader has challenged the government's decision to put his name on the list.

 The Ministry of Defence told the court on Monday that some portion of the Benazir Bhutto International Airport is still under the use of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) which needs no permission from the ministry for the operation of chartered flights.

The court was hearing a petition where a petitioner has raised questions that how a private chartered plan was allowed to take off from military Airbase Noor Khan and how Zulfi Bukhari was allowed to travel despite his name being on the black list.

An additional attorney general (AAG) submitted reply on behalf of the secretary Ministry of Defence that reads: “The concerned authorities were asked to offer comments on the subject petition. In response, Air Headquarters has informed that after the inauguration of Islamabad International Airport, the CAA has shifted its flight operations to the new airport. However the new airport does not have the required facilities to operate chartered flights, particularly small business jets, for which the CAA still utilises Rawal Lounge at Benazir Bhutto International Airport together with a small portion of civil tarmac. For such chartered flights, the CAA does not obtain permission from Ministry of Defence/PAF.”

The matter is pertaining to the June 11 incident when a chartered flight took the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and his wife Bushra to Saudi Arabia for performing Umrah.

 Imran’s close friend, Zulfi Bukhari also accompanied him there and before that he was stopped briefly by the Pakistani immigration officials for his name being on the black list.