Court reserves decision in case against Zulfi Bukhari

Justice Farooq admonishes caretaker government officials for allowing Bukhari to travel abroad

The Islamabad High Court on Tuesday reserved its decision in the case pertaining to the removal of Zulfi Bukhari’s name from the Black List.

Presiding over the court proceedings, Justice Amir Farooq heard arguments from lawyers from both the prosecution and the defence before making the final decision.

During the hearing, in an apparent reference to the removal of Bukhari’s name from the black list, the judge remarked how one phone call could change the situation on the ground very quickly.



"What is the law related to blacklist?" inquired Justice Farooq during the proceedings. He added that the request to put Bukhari on the blacklist had been received, but it was still unclear whether he had actually been placed on the list.

"If the name was put in ECL, how was it removed over one phone call?" the judge observed.

Answering the queries of the judge, the deputy attorney general apprised the court that according to the standard operating procedure of the interior ministry, Bukhari’s Computerised National Identity Card had been cancelled, but his passport had still being active.



Justice Farooq also asked the deputy attorney general to clarify whether going to Saudi Arabia was against the interest of the state of Pakistan.

"How can a person having dual or foreign nationality have his name blacklisted?" asked Justice Amir Farooq.

"Zulfi Bukhari was stopped in the interest of the state and the law ministry endorsed the decision on advice of the interior ministry," the government official replied.

"You broke the rule you made and after being put on the blacklist, the name was removed," the judge said in his remarks.

"He was allowed to leave on discretionary authority," the deputy attorney general noted.

The court reserved its judgement in the case.