IHC orders PCL names removed by Monday

ISLAMABAD:

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has given the Directorate General of Immigration and Passports (DGIP) until Monday to implement its orders directing the removal of three citizens' names from the Passport Control List (PCL), warning that contempt proceedings would follow if the orders were not complied with.

Justice Muhammad Azam Khan was hearing contempt of court cases on Monday over the failure to remove the names of citizens Afnan Khan, Khurram Shehzad and Hadi Hussain from the PCL despite court orders.

Addressing the director general of Immigration and Passports, Justice Azam said more than 100 contempt of court petitions were pending before the high court, of which 16 were before his bench alone.

He gave the authorities time until Monday to submit a compliance report, warning that the contempt petitions would then be decided and that no unconditional apology would be accepted.

The lawyer for the petitioners told the court that the judicial order had not been implemented and that the applicants' names were still on the PCL. He said the contempt petitions had therefore been filed.

DG Immigration and Passports Muhammad Ali Randhawa appeared before the court on a two-hour notice after the proceedings resumed following a break.

The court asked Randhawa whether he had ever sought a list showing how many contempt petitions were pending before the high court.

"Randhawa Sahib, have you ever asked for a list of how many contempt petitions are pending? There are 16 petitions pending in my court alone. There are more than 100 contempt cases in the high court," Justice Azam Khan said.

The lawyer told the court that the Ministry of Interior had constituted a committee tasked with deciding whether names should be removed from the PCL.

Justice Azam Khan questioned the legal basis for the committee's role in relation to judicial orders. "The high court's order will be examined by the committee? If there is any such law, tell me."

He warned that a contempt notice would be issued if the court order was not implemented. The DG Immigration and Passports sought two days' time to comply with the order. The court accepted the request and adjourned the hearing until Monday.