IHC for deleting Azam Khan’s name from stop list

ISLAMABAD:The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Wednesday directed the Interior Ministry to delete the name of Azam Khan, former principal secretary to the prime minister, from the stop list.

The court also instructed the petitioner bureaucrat to appear before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament in compliance with its summon.

IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah heard the case filed by Azam Khan regarding the matter.

At the outset of hearing, the assistant attorney general adopted the stance that the name of Azam Khan was placed on the stop list on the recommendation of PAC as he did not appear before the body despite of repeated summons.

The chief justice remarked how a parliamentary body could pass such instructions. The court had earlier, in its observations declared that there was no law behind the stop list.

The court questioned as to why the PAC had summoned Azam Khan, at this, his lawyer said that the petitioner had been summoned to explain his position in Tayyaba Gull harassment case.

The chief justice observed that one should appear before the parliamentary body whenever he was summoned by it.

Petitioner Azam Khan had made a mistake if he chose not to appear before it. The court subsequently ordered to remove his name from the no fly list.