Blocking of passports: officials pass buck to interior ministry

Thousands across Punjab blocked for last 2 years due to suspected participation in May 9, 2023 rioting incidents

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LAHORE:

Passports of thousands of people across Punjab have been blocked for the last 2 years due to their suspected participation in May 9, 2023 rioting incidents — leading to cancellation of their international trips including pilgrimage to Makkah.

Interestingly, geo fencing was used to identify the alleged rioters active in a particular area on May 9 and May 10 of 2023.

As a result, dozens of people — including employees of government and private organizations, whose workplaces were located in those localities and who used phones during rioting — faced blacklisting of passports.

A number of these people came to know that their passports have been blocked only when they arrived at the airport to fly to foreign destinations or went to the passport office for renewal of their documents. Dozens of such people have now approached the Lahore High Court (LHC).

While hearing these petitions, the LHC has summoned passport officials along with records.

In many of these cases, passport authorities have already submitted records to the court showing that the passports have been blacklisted.

The Passport and Immigration Department told the LHC that the task of blacklisting passports does not fall under their jurisdiction and that the Ministry of Interior includes and removes names from the blacklist and the Exit Control List (ECL).

They claimed that the names of the petitioners were added to the blacklist due to their alleged involvement in May 9 incidents.

Those individuals whose names are on the blacklist or whose passports have expired cannot renew their document until their names are removed from the blacklist.

Violent protests broke out across the country after the arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan on May 9, 2023.

During the turmoil, attacks were carried out on 39 military installations across the country between 3pm and 7pm of May 9. Most of these attacks — 23 — occurred in Punjab, followed by 8 in K-P, 7 in Sindh and one in Balochistan.

Major military facilities attacked included the GHQ in Rawalpindi, the Corps Commander's House in Lahore, the Mianwali Air Force Base, and ISI offices in Faisalabad, Sargodha, and Rawalpindi.