PHC seeks KP govt’s reply on ex-minister’s plane offloading

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court has sought a reply from the provincial government by December 5 regarding a petition against the offloading of former provincial minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Shaukat Yousafzai on the plane destined for Umrah.

The hearing of the case was conducted by a two-member bench consisting of Justice Ejaz Anwar and Justice SM Attique Shah.The petition, filed by Advocate Syed Sikandar Hayat, argued that Shaukat Yousafzai had served as the provincial minister after winning the provincial elections in 2013 and 2018 from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf platform.

Last week, he was going to Saudi Arabia for Umrah, and his flight, scheduled for 9am at Bacha Khan Airport Peshawar, was prevented from leaving the country, and he was offloaded from the plane.

On the occasion, Justice Ejaz Anwar inquired from the petitioner’s lawyer if his name was on the ECL or Stop List. In response, the petitioner’s lawyer stated that his client’s name was neither on the ECL nor the Stop List.

“All agencies have cleared him, but he was still offloaded from the plane,” he added.At this point, Justice SM Attique Shah asked if Shaukat Yousafzai had held a press conference, to which the petitioner’s lawyer clarified that he did not hold a press conference.

The court directed the federal government, the director FIA Islamabad, Director FIA Peshawar, director Immigration and Passports Islamabad, and Peshawar Airport immigration authorities to respond by December 5, and the case hearing was adjourned until then.