Interior Ministry asked to issue passport to Mushtaq Ghani

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Wednesday directed the federal interior ministry, Federal Investigation Agency and Passport Department to issue passport to Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Speaker Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani, who has been living in self-exile in the UK since the May 9 riots.

The court also declared that the petitioner was not present, so his petition for granting protective bail could not be heard at this point.

He was expected to arrive at the Bacha Khan International Airport, Peshawar, on December 27 (Wednesday) as he has decided to take part in the forthcoming general elections from his hometown PK-45 constituency. He had confirmed his air ticket for Peshawar but was waiting for the renewal of his expired passport for which he had already applied online.

At the outset of hearing, Ali Azim Afridi advocate, counsel for Mushtaq Ghani, told the PHC single bench comprising Justice Kamran Hayat Miankhel that his client was speaker of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, whose passport has expired.

He said that the petitioner had deposited a fee for an urgent passport but it was not being issued the same due to unknown reasons.

He said that Mushtaq Ghani was in London when the court inquired about the petitioner’s whereabouts.

The lawyer argued that his client wanted to come but his passport was expired, therefore, he should be granted protective bail, so he could not be arrested upon his arrival.

However, Additional Advocate General Danyal Asad Chamkani informed the court that Mushtqa Ghani was on protective bail till December 27.

It was learnt that Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani, who is currently in the UK, had filed his nomination papers from PK-45 through his lawyer, Kamran Gul advocate.

His elder brother, Ilyas Ghani, has his power of attorney and has represented him in the filing process.

Mushtaq Ghani’s wife and former member of the National Assembly Farzana Mushtaq is a covering candidate for her husband.