ISLAMABAD: Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday reserved its verdict over placement of Zulfi Bukhari’s name on blacklist.
IHC resumed hearing of petition case pertaining to placement of Bukhari’s name on the blacklist.
Justice Aamer Farooq, heading the proceedings questioned what law was in place regarding blacklisting of any individual.
Justice Farooq questioned that it was requested that Bukhari’s name is place on Exit Control List (ECL) but was instead placed on blacklist. He further inquired how Bukhari’s name was removed from the blacklist after a phone-call.
The high court Judge questioned how an individual with dual nationality could be named on the blacklist.
To this, Deputy Attorney General (DAG) informed the court that Bukhari’s CNIC was cancelled not his passport.
Justice Farooq, further questioned the legal standing of the procedure to which the DAG responded that the interior ministry had a standard operating procedure (SOP) for such matters.
In the petition, Bukhari’s counsel had sought removal of Bukhari’s name from the blacklist as his family and business were based in Britain.
Justice Farooq after hearing arguments of both the parties reserved his verdict on the case.
Khan’s close aide, earlier today had said that he hoped that the verdict will be given in his favor as the Interior Ministry had confessed that no mechanism for placing a name on the blacklist existed.
Bukhari’s counsel had earlier argued that the accountability bureau could not investigate into his client as he was a british national and any such probe was beyond their jurisdiction.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan’s close aide Zulfi Bukhari was earlier barred from leaving Pakistan while he was travelling with Khan to perform Umrah. However, Bukhari had left after a six-day one-time grant was given by the interim interior minister, which he confessed later on.
Bukhari had left for Saudi Arabia with Khan from Nur Khan Airbase.