PTI leader moves PHC after being offloaded from plane

PESHAWAR: A leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and former provincial minister Shaukat Ali Yousafzai on Wednesday approached the Peshawar High Court (PHC) after he was stopped at the Bacha Khan International Airport from leaving abroad.

He filed a writ petition through his lawyer Syed Sikandar Hayat Shah Advocate.

The federal government, director general of the Federal Investigation Agency, director Immigration and Passport, Islamabad and Immigration officials in Peshawar were made respondents in the writ petition.

In the petition, Shaukat Yousafzai said he served as provincial minister for two terms after winning the 2013 and 2018 general elections.

The PTI leader said that he wanted to visit Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah but he was prevented from boarding the aircraft.

He said that he was offloaded from the plane despite the fact that his name was not placed on the Exit Control List, terming it an illegal act.

The PTI leader took the plea that the immigration authorities had cleared him and a boarding pass was also issued to him, but he was not allowed to catch the flight.

The former minister said the local district administration had impounded his vehicle due to which his children, including a seriously ill daughter, and other family members faced problems with commuting.

His lawyer told the court that his client never indulged in anti-state activities and no case was registered against him, but despite that he was not allowed to fly abroad.

The counsel requested the court to order the relevant authorities to allow his client to travel to Saudi Arabia so that he could perform Umrah.