IHC orders to remove names of Shahbaz Gill, others from stop list

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday directed Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to immediately remove names of Shahbaz Gill and Shahzad Akbar from stop list, ARY NEWS reported.

Chief Justice IHC Athar Minallah while chairing the hearing against the FIA action to include names of Shahbaz Gill, Shahzad Akbar and other PTI members on stop list expressed annoyance over not implementing the court order during the previous hearing.

During the hearing, Shahzad Akbar said that he was ready to go to Adiala Jail if the FIA is bent on arresting him. To this the CJP asked Akbar if he is willing to go to the prison. “No No sir!” responded the former adviser to PM on accountability.

The IHC later ordered to remove names of Shahzad Akbar and Shahbaz Gill from stop list and sought a detailed report on the matter from secretary interior and DG FIA. “Why yesterday’s orders have not yet been implemented,” the CJP said and warned that if names were not removed then concerned officials will have to bear consequences of it.

The court later adjourned the hearing for Monday.

Former SAPM Shahbaz Gill and Shahzad Akbar had filed the petition in IHC through their counsels pleading with the court to order the removal of their names from the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) stop list.

The petitioners maintained that the foreign travel ban placed by FIA is illegal as no cases or inquiries were underway against them. The plea asked the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to immediately remove FIA’s “illegal” travel ban.

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 a stop list.

The names include; Prime Minister’s former principal secretary Azam Khan, ex-special assistant to PM on political communication Shahbaz Gill, ex-adviser to PM on interior and accountability Shahzad Akbar, Director-General Punjab Gohar Nafees, and DG Federal Investigation Agency Punjab Zone Mohammad Rizwan.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) social media head Dr. Arsalan Khalid’s name has also been added to the stop list, sources added.