IHC issues notices to Secretary Interior over Azam Khan's plea

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court issued notices to Secretary Interior and others over Azam Khan’s plea against placing his name in the Stop List, ARY News reported on Tuesday.

Chief Justice Athar Minallah heard the petition of Azam Khan, former prime minister Imran Khan’s principal secretary, over placing his name in the stop list today. The bench directed the secretary interior to appoint a representative officer.

The counsel of Azam Khan told the court that the name of former principal secretary to the prime minister has been added to the no-fly list. “If any case registered him,” the bench questioned. “No case registered against him, he is being subjected to political victimization,” counsel Qasim Wudood replied. “A list of similar nature was earlier declared unlawful by the court,” counsel said.

“If Azam Khan intends to go abroad,” Justice Athar Minallah asked. “Yes he has already got leave for going abroad,” counsel said.

The court adjourned further hearing of the case till 10am on Wednesday (tomorrow).

In his plea, Azam Khan challenged the decision of placing his name in the stop list and requested to the court to declare the decision as void.

“Placing the name in stop list is unlawful and violation of the court orders,” former aide to PM pleaded. “I had sought leave for going abroad and my leave from August 25 to September 25 was approved,” Azam Khan said. “After getting leave, I came to know that my name has been added to the stop list again.”

“My name was added in the stop list on the night of the vote of confidence and the high court had ordered removal of name from the list on April 18,” according to the petition.

It is pertinent to mention here that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had placed the names of six key aides of former PM Imran Khan on the stop list.

The names included Khan’s former principal secretary Azam Khan, ex-special assistant Shahbaz Gill, ex-adviser to PM Shahzad Akbar, Director-General Punjab Gohar Nafees, and DG Federal Investigation Agency Punjab Zone Mohammad Rizwan.

Being on the list, a person could not travel abroad without permission.

The names of former aides of Imran Khan were placed on the stop list after Khan was removed from the office through a parliamentary vote against him on April 11.