IHC orders removing Zulfi’s name from blacklist

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday ordered to remove Zulfi Bukhari’s name from the blacklist, ending travel restrictions on the London-based businessman who is also a close aide of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman Imran Khan.

Justice Aamer Farooq, who had reserved the verdict on a petition filed against the placement of Bukhari’s name on the blacklist on Tuesday, read out the decision ordering the authorities concerned to remove Bukhari’s name from the blacklist.

Bukhari was barred from leaving Pakistan when he proceeded to Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah on June 11. He was later granted a one-time permission to go abroad for six days by the Interior Ministry. Bukhari’s counsel had previously argued that his client, a British national, left for Saudi Arabia to perform Umra along with Imran Khan in a special flight from the Nur Khan Airbase when the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) informed him that his name was on the blacklist.

Caretaker Interior Minister Azam Khan last month admitted he had granted permission to Bukhari to travel abroad, after he was informed by the interior secretary that Bukhari wanted to travel to Saudi Arabia to perform Umra with the PTI chairman but had been stopped from leaving the country due to his name being on the blacklist.

The National Accountability Bureau had requested to place Bukhari's name on the Exit Control List, but he was placed on the blacklist instead.