ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday removed former PTI stalwart Shireen Mazari from the Passport Control List (PCL).
Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri announced the verdict as he heard a plea by the former human rights minister to remove her name from the list.
Mazari was being represented by Barrister Ahsan Jamal Pirzada. According to the written judgement, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, Mazari came to know about her name being on the PCL through an article published in newspapers and magazines.
Mazari’s name was put on the PCL on the recommendation of the Islamabad police on May 26, just weeks after the May 9 riots.
At least 13 PTI leaders, including Mazari, were arrested under the Maintenance of Public Order ordinance following the protests that followed PTI chief Imran Khan’s arrest in the Al Qadir Trust case. She was granted bail on several occasions but was re-arrested immediately every time.
Soon after, Mazari announced that she was quitting the PTI and retiring from “active politics”, citing personal reasons.
Mazari said she had decided to leave the PTI and active politics after the ordeal of her 12 days under arrest and the effect it had on her health as well as her daughter, lawyer Imaan Mazari-Hazir.
She said her children and her health were her main priority and “nothing else is important to me”.
Putting Mazari’s name on the list was unjust and illegal, the IHC said, adding that “her fundamental rights have been jeopardised”.
The IHC noted that since a show cause notice was never issued to Mazari, it represented “malafide and ulterior motives” of the Islamabad police.
The criteria for putting a person’s name on the PCL is if they take part in anti-state activities or if their visit to foreign countries is considered prejudicial to the state’s interest. The IHC stated that Mazari has had neither allegation against her.
The Director General, Immigration and Passport, Mustafa Jamal Kazi, was ordered to remove Mazari’s name from the PCL and produce a compliance report for the Deputy Registrar within a week.
The court had reserved its verdict after hearing both sides on November 21.
