Pakistan-based US national allowed to go abroad
An American national living in Pakistan has been allowed to visit South Africa after immigration officials assured the court he would not be denied to re-enter the country.
The Sindh High Court division bench headed by Chief Justice Mushir Alam allowed the petitioner, Muhammad Hashim, to proceed abroad to attend an Islamic economics conference after the federal law officer assured that the Interior Ministry would not deny him entry on return.
The petitioner, Muhammad Hashim, had converted from Christianity to Islam and married a Pakistani national. On his request, the government granted him the Pakistan Origin Card (POC), a renewable document valid for five years, while his for permanent Pakistani citizenship application is pending with the authorities.
The plaintiff is an expert on Islamic economics and is associated with Jamia Binoria. He wants to proceed to Durban, South Africa to attend a conference, his lawyer Mehmood Alam Rizvi submitted. “He may be denied entry on his return following the expiry of his POC.”
The court was asked to issue orders to the interior ministry not to deny him entry on his return. On Friday, the deputy attorney general, Muhammad Ashraf Mughal, assured the court that the interior ministry would not hinder the petitioner’s entry and he could go abroad. Hearing was put off till November 13.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 10th, 2012.
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