Daily Times

The Islamabad High Court Tuesday suspended the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) order placing the names of key aides of former prime minister Imran Khan on the “stop list”.

The list includes the names of Imran’s former adviser on interior and accountability Shahzad Akbar, special assistant on political communication Shahbaz Gill and four others.

According to media reports, the FIA had a day ago placed six key members of the former PTI government – Gill; Akbar; Imran Khan’s focal person on digital media, Dr Arsalan Khalid; ex-PM Imran’s principal secretary Azam Khan; Punjab Anti Corruption Director-General Gohar Nafees; and Mohammad Rizwan – on the “stop list”.

Any person placed on the “stop list” is not allowed to leave the country.

Akbar filed a petition with the IHC on Tuesday, seeking revocation of the FIA move that bars him and others from foreign travel, says a news report.

Akbar and Gill later appeared before the court as the plea was taken up for hearing.

During the proceedings, Chief Justice Athar Minallah remarked that the court had already declared the “black list” illegal. Akbar urged the court to summon the FIA chief and ask him on whose directions his name was placed on the no-fly list.

He said in case he had committed a crime, “there should be an application moved [to request such a move]”. The court, while referring to Gill and Akbar, asked whether the duo had plans to go abroad by tomorrow. “We are seeking a reply from the FIA tomorrow,” Justice Minallah said.

In its written order, the court directed the respondents to appear at 10.30am on Wednesday and explain “who had authorized the placing of the names of the petitioners and other three officials closely associated with the former premier on the list”.

“They are expected to satisfy the court that the action was not based on victimization,” the court said in its order. It further maintained that “the operation of the no fly list/PNIL to the extent of the petitioners and other three officials – Muhammad Azam Khan, Muhammad Gohar Nafees and Arsalan Khalid – shall remain suspended.”